Super Eagles goalkeeper Francis Uzoho is disappointed with his performance in Friday’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Seychelles but is determined to move on strongly, Completesports.com reports.
Uzoho who missed Super Eagles penultimate qualifying game against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa last year due to injury was widely criticised for his uninspiring performance in the game.
Odion Ighalo put the Super Eagles ahead from the spot in the 33rd minute but Melaine Rody profited from Uzoho’s blunder four minutes before the break to equalised for the visitors.
Henry Onyekuru and substitute Moses Simon however scored in the second half to hand the Super Eagles maximum points in the game.
“Mixed feelings yesterday for me. Happy to be back on this colors but not happy that i nearly cost my team the game…On to the next one to make things right. IN CHRIST ALONE,” he tweeted.
Meanwhile, Uzoho will play no part in Nigeria’s international friendly against the Pharaohs of Egypt on Tuesday, according to coach Gernot Rohr.
“We’ll see the other goalkeepers against Egypt,” Rohr said in his post-match interview.
“They will play and we are confident that they won’t disappoint when they play on Tuesday. Akpeyi or Ezenwa will play the game.”
The 20 year old has since been deployed to the Olympic team ahead of their U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier second leg clash against Libya.
Uzoho has kept four clean sheets in 13 games for the Super Eagles.
By Adeboye Amosu & Johnny Edward
Copyright © 2024 Completesports.com All rights reserved. The information contained in Completesports.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Completesports.com.
COMMENTS
Wow! Good news Uzoho is replacing the said U23 basket goal tender, Adamu for the Libya return leg on Monday. With Onyekuru and Osimhen also drafted to join Awoniyi, Nwakaki, Chukwuze and co, the Libyans should get a serious beating.
That’s only if Imama can gel the team well and NFF would be gracious enough to take the match to a more convenient venue like Uyo.
The under 23 keeper having been sent off cannot play on Monday as he will be suspended. But drafting Uzoho into the squad is counter productive. Oremade is ample cover and this will be great preparation for him before the under 20 world cup
The problem with the under 23 team on Wednesday was a lack of training and the players were strangers to each other.
Drafting players from the SE into the squad one day before the match just perpetuates the problem of a lack of understanding and team cohesion. Ozornwafor and Ikouwem Soros have been part of that squad from day one, the double promotion from under 20 to SE was unnecessary.
I only hope they don’t need with the midfield and attack or the keepers for tomorrow’s match. Dennis, Okonkwo, Awoniyi, Chukwueze, k Michael and Daniel Should have enough to get past Libya with 4 days of training
Are u sure you’re 19?
oremade would have been a better choice. Rohr is just proving that he is accepting bribes. How Uzohor is better than Alampasu still baffles me
Uzoho is far better than alampasu
Alampasu has only played once for his club this season. One match in January.
You truely fumble bro but nobody is above mistake, hope u seat up and improve yr game. our goalkeeping position is still at stake we need a fierce competition in dat post coach.
Oremade and Alam are better than all these jesters, but for now I would be taking a chilll pill, my final verdict on Rohr and is team would be out after the Afcon. but guys a lot is seriously wrong with this team,our scouting department needs complete overhaul.To all Rohr fans, folks ur coach needs options in attacking midfield position ASAP.
That was one mistake too many for Uzoho. He is the only goal keeper to concede a goal against Seychelles in this AFCON qualifier.
I have always believed that he is the weakest link in the SE squad. I have been praying that he can prove me wrong but he is doing the opposite.
@Bomboy, Uzoho is not the first GK to concede against Seychelles in the qualifiers. Seychelles opening match of the qualifier ended 5-1 against LIBYA. I hope it wasn’t Uzoho that also manned the post for Libya?? Anyone is prone to Mistake and move on with correction. #IStandWithUzoho. Dele Alampasu is welcomed though
I still can’t rationalize the wisdom behind overlooking David Nwolokor(African Buffon) of FC Sered of Slovakia. He is the Nigerian goalkeeper with the most caps in Europe this season.
Nwolokor has only played two matches this year (in February that’s it). No matches in March, no matches in January, no matches in December, no matches in November.Before that was October last year.
I’m sorry but any keeper who does not play regularly should not come anywhere near national service.
I called for him at the beginning of the season, but he lost his starting place for his club and shouldn’t be in contention
May you walk and never stumble sir. When you have a goalkeeper like David Nwolokor, this coach keeps inviting Uzoho and Akpeyi,chai my people.
Don’t let us sleepwalk into Afcon disaster.
When I talk, they will call me all sorts of names. I only pray that these people do not allow themsevlves to worship mediocrity.
Uzoho has failed. He should go and learn his Under 23 before coming back to the national team.
This coach continues to play Iwobi when there is iyayi Atiemwen doing wonders in the prestigious Croatian league. This is the same Croatia that wiped the Super Eagles on the floor because of this Coach Rohr. Is this what we have reduced ourselves to?
I might not even bother to watch the match against Egypt because this coach has failed against high calibre opponents like Argentina and Croatia.
My people, don’t let us worship mediocrity. Rohr must go.
Goalkeeper, he can’t find. Attacking midfielder, he can’t find. Proven goal scorer, he can’t find.
Am I the only one who has been unplugged?
Wake up my people. See how this coach is ruining the career of one of the best full backs in the world called Musa Mohammed. Musa Mohammed is better that Aina and Ebuehi combined.
We should not be carried away only because these 2 are born abroad. This coach is shaping the way we think to make us believe that any foreign born player is automatically better than local born players. SMH
Balogun is not better than Omeruo in 1 million years. I don’t want oyinbo wall. I want wazobia wall…
Wake up my people. Wake up from your mediocrity.
Happy new week.
Ire o.
Udah, you don fall my hand oo. Musa Mohammed better than Aina? Especially this season when he is one of the best full backs in Serie A? Or Ebuehi who if not for the unfortunate injury would have been playing Champions League for the Portuguese champions. Mohammed who could not even hack it in Turkey and is currently in a backwater league is better than these two? Thank God you have nothing to do with coaching our dear Eagles.
My guy, just as well that I have nothing to do directly coaching the Super Eagles.
The wisdom in what I am saying is certain players are not better than others simply because they are born abroad.
That this player is actually better than that is purely a matter of opinion.
God bless you my brother.
Happy new day.
Bros, it is not about being born abroad, it is about their individual performances at senior level. All Musa’s exploits is at junior level while we all saw how good Ebuehi was at the World Cup that he benched Shehu Abdulahi. Aina on the other hand has been posting solid performances for Torino this season, that Chelsea are now reluctant to sell.No matter the opinion, Musa Mohammed currently cannot touch these guys and if they are all fit any coach that picks Musa over these two is not after the progress of the Super Eagles.
omo 9ja…… which coach do you want…..?
Nice question. Abeg. Help me ask the homie again
@Jaye and @omoyoruba, free your mind and the rest will follow…….
bros u have said it all. dat coach have been percial in anything he does since he drop dis guy uche agbo from our team without giving him a chance to prove himself
Majority of the goals we conceived tje error comes from this keeper
You speak with wisdom that is well beyond your years because you cannot be 100 years old.
If only others can be unplugged, they will begin to hope to have the level of wisdom you have so admirably displayed.
#wearebetterthanthis#
I’ve been clamoring for the inclusion of Dele Alampasu for a while nice so he can show what he’s made of between the sticks but for whatever reason he never gets a look at that’s really disappointing on Rohr’s part. We definitely have better options that can perform way better than Uzoho. Even though I’m a fan , he makes school boys misleads that are too glaring.
Uzoho, David Ngodigha, Agbim, and currently Calamity Aboki Adamu have so many things in common.On another news Uzoho conceded many cheap goals at the under23 training games today o,God help us tomorrow from incoming stones from Libya tomorrow
Super Eagles goalkeeping crises.
Looking at the performances last week in our international matches it seems obvious that we need to look at alternatives.
Francis Uzoho played his first match since January against the Seychelles and it showed he was match rusty. His howler resulted in the Seychelles scoring. Ok yes, the defence was also culpable. But as a keeper, when you decide to come out to make a save, you have to make contact with the ball.
Ditto the under 23 keeper committing a school boy error, handling the ball outside the box. Cue the under 20 keeper stepping up. It seems the only reliable keeper we have is Olawale Oremade (under 20) and we risk burning him out.
Uzoho has been sent to train with the under 23s to help him, but I’ll be astounded if he makes the match day squad ahead of or in for GK Oremade or even ahead of the reserve keeper. We shouldn’t help him by putting him in contention for national duty, only by extra training.
Now this brings me to the way forward. Playing either Ezenwa or Akpeyi against Egypt because they are the two next keepers in the squad. Akpeyi is said to be error prone, both at national and at club level, Ezenwa doesn’t instill confidence, but they are adequate for the job as against “they are good”.
So who are the alternatives? Alampasu is not playing regularly, Osigwe is not playing regularly, Nwolokor is not playing regularly and that’s about it.
The answer has to be “home grown”. Olufemi Kayode of Lobi Stars has done well this season with both the league and CAF Champions League, Chinedu Anozie of FC IfeanyiUbah has the most clean sheets (8 in 11 matches this season), Dele Ajiboye is second in terms of clean sheets in the league. There is also Afelokhai who was called up late last year.
Looking at prospects for the age group squads, there is Maduka Okoye of Fortuna Dusseldorf II who has a few people mentioning him on social media. Also possible is to look in the various academies where Oremade was discovered.
What is certain is that goalkeeping might be our Achilles heel coming up to the AFCON tournament proper
Thank you BigD. I thought I was the only one who had doubts about Uzoho’s readiness for the AFCON.
Something has to be done about our goal keeping position before the AFCON.
#wearebetterthanthis.
Elenu, make them talk.
.
That was how they tore apart the young man named Peter Jaja (later Peter rufai) when he was an understudy to Peter Fregene. Coach Onigbinde took lots of slap because of this budding goalkeeper, but persisted with him, believing so much in him and giving him time to make mistakes and learn from them. The young man went ahead to man the posts in 2 AFCON final matches, winning one and losing the other (controversially to cameroun) and having stellar career that spanned over 14 years.
.
That was also how they almost runned down a young vincent enyeama with their bad mouth back circa 2004….infact they even claimed we were going to afcon without a goalkeeper….but the young man shoved humble pies down their throats by emerging as the best goalkeeper at Tunisia 2004. He ended up becoming the greatest goalkeeper to ever come out of nigeria and indeed africa with an international career that also spanned over 14 years.
.
Elenu, make dem talk…!
I understand your point of view,and you are talking as as well,like everyone else.if no one talks,I guess we would never share ideas,thus,we might never know…
I want to believe Uzoho is good enough but he is never Rufai or Enyeama.
My worry for Francis is that he has always had the belief of his coaches both at club level and now at the national team.maybe due to his physique and his work ethic,most coaches tend to give him the chance. He was given the chance in deportivo,Elche ,and now The national team..and what is frightening is that he scoffed in all these two clubs(that is prone to argument though),and now showing the same trend in the super Eagles.
And no I am not just talking about the match against Seychelles; most of the time,Uzoho looks indecisive about his decision making and for me,that’s his greatest weakness.
I believe he got the potential,like I said,he got the height,good communication,strong fist..but potential is nothing without show..
He should work more…
Decision making is always the biggest hurdle for all young goalkeepers…and sorting that out comes with game time experience. Uzoho’s goalkeeping records in europe are there for all to see. Many clean sheets (including in the Laliga) and several team of the week appearances. Was even nominated for MVP of the month twice in the first half of the season. Made a deadline day move to cyprus and walked straight into the starting XI at anathorsis (as if that team didnt have any goalkeepers before then). His transfer saga is quite unfortunate, at a time he was beginning to make some appreciable strides. The kid has distinguished himself in all the clubs he played. Before he left elche for cyprus, half the points his team had at that point in the season where in the few games in was in goal, meaning the team dropped less points with Uzoho behind the sticks. For an african goalkeeper to be this trusted in europe, isnt a fluke. Uzoho is not rufai, neither is he enyeama…..but rufai didnt become rufai after 1 and a half years as national team goalie, neither did enyeama become enyeama after 2 years of being the SE first choice.
Point taken…
No one is doubting Uzoho’s ability,like I said,he has gotten potential.but that’s the same thing for all other goalkeepers,they all have potential.
And my take,the national team is not a breeding ground..the national team is for the best.
The super eagles is not there to nurture Any player not good enough,that is for the club side and for the player to do.
The national team is the apogee..when you get there..you know you are there..
That’s the main reason we all understood when Kelechi wasn’t invited,cause his performance doesn’t warrant be called cause the national team is not to nurture.
Uzoho should do well and improve on himself or he should be ready to face criticism.and I believe the young man knows that,tending from his apology.
Coming to Enyeama and Rufai..
I stand to be corrected; Uzoho is not both.
You might have forgotten the exploits of Enyeama from Ibom stars to Enyimba before featuring in the national team. Everyone already knew how good Enyeama was,infact no one doubted that.that is why there wasn’t much doubt about him when he was drafted to the World Cup in 2002;and yes,this was before 2004 Afcon.
Even if there was some few disgruntled elements after the match against England,enyimba success,no one doubted Enyeama anymore. He proved himself early..so when there were little skirmishes here and there in his early career,it was what it was,skirmishes,and the fans knew that.
Besides,Enyeama wasn’t driven out from club to club just like Uzoho has been done to.
Yes Uzoho had kept some clean sheets,won player of the month but that doesn’t make him the best.even the worst players got good days.
Karius,the former Liverpool number one,was once the one of the best in the German bundesliga,heck,he singlehandly saved Mainz from going down a number of times and that’s why Liverpool bought him.
But we saw how he turned out.and yet he is making the same blunders even at his loan spell in Besiktas.who has systematically frozen him out.
Same story for mignolet,who was unstoppable at st. truiden, Sunderland before Liverpool got him.we know what transpired.
Same for joe hart, green and many more..
My point is ,the signs are always there..
Uzoho might turn out good,heck the best..but he needs to prove it..
Facts don’t care about emotions.
I beg to disagree with you.
Enyeama was never a household name before the 2002 world cup. The likes of Chijioke Ejiogu (arugo monkey), Austine Ejide, Sunday Rotimi and Sam Okoye were the ones running the show on the domestic scene, Even the likes of Sunday Makama of Julius berger then, John gaadi of Lobi and Austin Brown of sharks we way ahead of enyeama. On the international stage, We had the likes of Murphy akanji, Ndubuisi Egbo and Jordan Baruwa playing in europe. The disbandment of the team after 2002 AFCON and the subsequent decision of Adegboye onigbinde to go for younger keepers with the future in sight paved the way for the then 18yr old Enyeama. Providence ensured Ejiogu was sent home from the camp in london just before the friendly against paraguay for going out of camp without permission (Rumours had it that d dude rather than focus on making the team went to kanu’s house in london to pack, used jerseys and soccerboots), also, sunday rotimi who had always been in and out of the super eagles since year 2000 then got injured and missed out, leaving Ejide and enyeama of the 5 goalkeepers initially listed in the provinsional squad. Vincent was a rank outsider and only featured in the friendly against kenya in the run-up to the mundial. He didnt get too many chances but the few he got, he grabbed with both hands. Even though his performance against England at the world cup was flawless, the dude endured a further 2 years of constant waking from arm chair critics. I cant forget his blunders against, angola in luanda, ethiopia in abuja, malawi in abuja, brazil in abuja and many more. Ardent football followers who were matured as at then would agree he was very teribble with aerial balls and would have fans almost swallow their hearts whenever a cross is wipped into the box. Even at enyimba, he had his weaknesses, i remember his blunders against ismaili, Simba and bakili bullets in the CAF champions league back then too . This was at a time when Sam Okoye was in the best form of his life at rangers, competing in the CAF cup and Chijioke Ejiogu was doing what he had been doing since 1999 when he emerged with arugo FC. So Vincent wasnt all that superb at at then. He had a very rough start to his SE career. But the coaches stuck with him, knowing well he was just in his early 20s just as Francis is now, they saw his potentials. Like i said earlier, big mouth arm chair critics on KON back then opined that we were going to AFCON without a goal keeper…they called Chrisitian Chukwu many unprintable names, accused him of collecting bribe, favoritism…etc To their shame, the basket we went to AFCON with became the best goalkeeper at the tournament, and that was when the young man never looked back afterwards, from enyimba, to inwuanayawu, to Bnei yehuda, to tel aviv, to Lille in france. Uzoho isnt being driven from club to club…..he’s a bona fide player of Deportivo La coruna in spain, and is only being loaned out to get game time to aid his development. And he hasn’t disappointed in any of the clubs he has been to. His records even as a 20yr old african goalkeeper is everywhere on the internet to see. Heck the guy never even kept in the NPL before making his debut in the La liga. Even enyeama didnt break into the top 5 leagues in europe unitl his late 20s
People forget that he is still a young goal keeper and still learning. They forget his performance against Poland – the point blank save against Lewandoski. Even against England in Wembley, i was actually at the stadium and i saw live how he kept the score down to 2 in the first half after England was all over us. He is due a dip in form that happens to everyone but the upside is he is young with incredible potential not like Ezenwa & Akpeyi that would soon retire.
Yes..
Uzoho is good with so much potential,and he is getting the chance to grow,so he should take his chance.life is all about time and chance;and no matter how we don’t like it,football is played in the now..
And no,most people didn’t forget,and most people don’t doubt Uzoho.
But most people want the best for him,so they criticize him to get better,same as we did to Mikel,okocha,Ighalo and now kelechi;
We criticize and draw them close …
Uzoho, just has to get playing time. Once that is done he’ll be back. But you all should know that young goal keepers would always go through this spell of blunders that i accept. What i don’t is one in their 30’s e.g. Akpeyi who keeps on doing it.
What I liked about Uzoho’s performance on Friday was not the mistake he made but the way he responded.
He showed good recovery rate and I like that.
After the howler, rather than bury his head in shame,wallow in self-pity and allow it to affect him for the remainder of the match, he encouraged his team to move on from the goal and get on with the match!
He clapped reassuringly and waved his team to get on and stay focused – I like that. That is a potential leadership quality.
Uzoho is not necessarily my cup of tea. I like Alapamsu and Akpeyi.
However, the manner in which Uzoho has conducted himself since being anointed as the number one has been very (very) commendable indeed.
For one so young, he always has a confident and reassuring demeanor. Never looking fazed or overcome by the occasion.
Overall, Uzoho has done well.
All I can say is that all 3 of Rohr’s goalkeepers are professional and adequate. They have all proven that they can get the job done if the defensive wall holds its own.
If fit, any of Uzoho, Akpeyi or Ezenwa will do a decent job at the Cup of nations.
After the tournament, I will encourage the coaching crew to continue seeking options for the Super Eagles in the goalkeeping department.
Uzoho named in Under 23 goal by the NFF twitter feed
Under 23 team announced kickoff 4pm Nigerian time
Uzoho, Duru, Awaziem, Etboy, Ozornwafor, Azubuike (capt), Nwakali, Orji, Chukwueze, Osimhen, Awoniyi
Bench: Dennis, Okereke, Adebowale, Oremade, Lazarus, Michael.