Super Eagles goalkeeper Francis Uzoho was sent off Anorthosis Famagusta’s 3-0 home win over Alki Oroklinis in a relegation play-off clash in Cyprus reports Completesports.com.
The sending off was the first expulsion of Uzoho’s career.
The Nigerian shot-stopper was sent off in the 23rd minute by referee Giorgos Nicolaou.
Vincent Bessat, Michal Duris and Danijel Pranjic secured a comfortable win for ten-man Anorthosis Famagusta.
Nigerian international will miss Anorthosis next three games against Ermis Aradippou, Enosis Paralimni and Pafos FC.
The 20-year-old has made three appearances for the club he joined on a six months loan deal from Deportivo La Coruna.
He spent the first half of the season at Elche, where he made 11 appearances for the Spanish second-tier club in all competitions conceding 12 goals. He also kept four clean sheets.
Capped 13 times by Nigeria, Uzoho played all three matches as the Super Eagles exited the 2018 World Cup in the group stage.
In October 2017, Uzoho became the youngest foreign goalkeeper to ever play in La Liga and marked a memorable Deportivo La Coruna debut with a clean sheet.
Uzoho was part of the victorious Nigeria squad at the 2013 Under-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, albeit without playing a single minute at the tournament.
He only arrived at Deportivo from Qatar’s Aspire Academy in January 2017.
By Johnny Edward.
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COMMENTS
I just hope this guy is not on a downward spiral. Too many undesirable stories emerging about him in recent times.
Csn, pls can u explain to us in detail the offence that led to his expulsion,how it happened . I actually decided to read the entire news after seeing the eye catchy caption but unfortunately, it left so much to be desired. Pls, stop this copy and paste kinda reportage, Una don pass this level, abeg..
Very poor reporting. What led to the red card? — go straight to the point, damn it! Stop telling us facts and history about him that we already know just to fill up space. CSN needs serious competition in the online sports reporting space. Perhaps I might take it up.
Unless my arithmetic is wrong, Francis Uzoho missed 6 league matches prior to today’s match which he was sent off.
In April, Famagusta have 3 more matches against Doxa, Ermis, and Paralimni between 7 and 21 April.
Although it is reported that Famagusta intends to appeal this decision, Uzoho might yet get more than 3 match suspension of the findings of the FA conclude that he actions have brought the game in Cyprus to some sort of disrepute.
My suspicion (and it is merely a suspicion I must stress) that someone somewhere was too desperate for Uzoho to continue playing regularly – to cement his status as Super Eagles number one – if true, is now backfiring big time and it is such a shame to see.
I have watched enough football to know that fans at stadiums will always goat players suspected of any wrongdoing at the slightest opportunity. Make no mistake about it: Uzoho is not the most liked footballer in Cyprus at the moment and this medical-certificate forgery scandal will follow him for sometime to come (although he was ultimately exonerated).
From what I read, he responded to taunts from opposing fans in a manner that the referee found unacceptable hence the recently-married goalkeeper was given his marching orders.
If that account is true, would it come as a surprise if the fan was touching on his recent scandal? no.
WHAT NEXT?
I do hope Famagusta challenges this decision and I pray the red card gets rescinded if not, there will be fire on the mountain in Nigeria’s goalkeeping department going into the Afcon in June.
If the appeal fails, Uzoho would have missed 10 league matches in 3 months!
The former youth international will not be in the best frame of mind at the moment. First he lost his position in Elche only to get embroiled in medical certificate forgery scandal and then be issued with red card today; sandwiched somewhere in the middle of all of that was the shambolic display that saw him conceded a cheap goal against Seychelles.
All of the above within just 3 months.
If he is to retain his position as Nigeria’s number one in Egypt, psychologists really need to work on him to held restore his confidence and morale.
Otherwise, we may see any of Akpeyi or Ezenwa man the post in Egypt; then, those who tried to get Uzoho regular playing time may just have conspired to make him lose his starting position to any of the 2 other less fancied options.
According to allnigeria sports:
Uzoho received the first red card in his career after 23 minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct and the incident occurred shortly after Anorthosis scored their second goal.
The fourth official, Timotheos Christofi informed the referee that the Nigerian made a gesture towards the Alki Oroklini supporters.
Looking at our options Ezenwa produced two very good saves in the game against Egypt. I also think we should start looking local for an alternative backup goalie (2nd or 3rd) in either Chinedu Anozie (IfeanyiUbah 9 clean sheets in 13 games) or Olufemi Kayode (Lobi Stars).
And to give Francis time to get his head and maybe allow him to settle in the under 23 team in order to re-consolidate
UZOHO AGAIN!
• If only this young man knew the fights that has been going on because of him here on this forum…
• If only Coach Rohr knew that this guy is the weakest link in the SE (of course, THE BOY IS GOOD, but he needs time to grow in the game).
• If only his fans knew that some spiritual forces may be conspiring against
the young lad (They should be praying for him instead of fighting against his ‘critics’).
• If only he knew that someone somewhere was deliberately working against his progress (how else can you explain the fact that he was doing well in his former club and was nominated a few times for man of the match, but was suddenly relegated to the bench for no good reason?).
•If only his present club knew that he wouldn’t be earning his pay (for no fault of his, they have not enjoyed his services since he joined them).
• If only Mr. Rohr could read the suggestions made in this forum (deo made a good suggestion: get him a psychologist to see him through this phase and restore his confidence).
• If only he knew how to pray (Thank God the young man is religious. If you doubt it, read his tweets).
I am with you in prayers Mr. Uzoho. Although I consider you the weak link in the SE, I know you can grow to become the greatest asset of the SE.
All the best to you.
If only….
I think I go with @ deo’s recommendations, though I do not concur with his prior assertions that suggests uzoho is being forced on clubs in other to get game time. As a matter of fact, every super eagles player is doing everything possible not to just be among the numbers come July when the afcon kicks off. However….Francis needs some real psychological therapy at d moment. Circumstances are beginning to conspire against him and he is beginning to yield. luckily, there won’t be any international engagements till June…both for the SE and the U23s, else I would have fone with the suggestion that the boy be allowed time off to recover from the psychological stress he’s been pit through since he got married last year. Its been one week one trouble after all. But the fact that be just walked straight back into the first team after been out for a while, and was on his way to keeping another clean sheet is a positive. Let’s hope the heavens will smile on him and the appeal will come out in his favour. according to other news sources, it seemed he reacted to antics of fans…and there’s no escaping a hard stance from the FA is previous player-fan transgression rulings are anything to go by. Otherwise…..the boy needs to take a leave and go clear his head. He’s been out of the game for too long for too many non footballing reasons.
But by July the Afcon would have concluded 🙁
Just kidding; I guess you meant June.
Lol!
hahahaha @ deo. You got me there. I dont know what it is with me and afcon holding in july….I hope I dont end up fixing my leave in july only to discover that afcon has long been concluded…lolz
Yep and the league ends in May. A small matter of probably 8 matches. To be suspended for three of them means 5 matches to get his head together and work up a “head of steam” before domestic football ends and the summer of football starts
What is wrong this goal keeper of ours
Maybe he offended someone in his village when he traveled for his wedding. Since he returned it has been one problem after the other.
I am sorry for being so ‘African’ in my thinking.
I think he remains the best going into the AFCON
Must we take this calamity in waiting to Afcon,all this are warning signs, i don’t think this guy is ok ooo, hopefully Rohr would wake up and Invite Dele and Nwokolo for the remaining of our friendly matches for trial out.7
Applaudisez…! nice hypothesis, excellent conclusions. That calamity has more minutes of football this season that your recommended trailists combined, despite all the tribulations he has been through. When other countries are already finalizing their preliminary squads, some people are still calling out for trialists. Its like they traveled to the moon when news broke that no more new invitees until after the AFCON.
Uzoho should take it easy.
Update:
According to Cyprus Mail (link below), Uzoho raised his middle finger in a “F**k you” gesture to opposition fans yesterday, according to witnesses.
If proven true, the the CFA may yet add another charge of “bringing the game to disrepute” on top of his suspension.
Tough times ahead for Uzoho, tough times ahead…..
https://cyprus-mail.com/2019/04/02/uzoho-the-centre-of-attention-again/
Very silly behavior if true. Even if provoked by fans, no measure of retaliation is accepted in football. He should expect a few weeks on the sidelines from the disciplinary bodies soon.
Dr. Drey, this experience will make him a more mature person and teach him how to cope with pressure from opposition fans.
I must add that the fourth official who reported him to the ref was biased. The incident should have been ignored since the ref didn’t see it. It is not the first time a goal keeper harmlessly responds to taunts from the crowd.
I am not one to scream racism, but I think this wouldn’t have happened if he was one of their own.
If the walls do not have cracks, the lizard wouldn’t have a place to hide. He should have called the attention of the referee to what ever the fans where throwing at him. That’s the professional thing to do. You can never win a case of retaliation in football. Even if the fans hit you with a slab, once you raise a finger in retaliation you get penalized. Just as you said, I hope he learns from the experience. He should ruin a career that is already on the runway.
Just as you Drey always act like an illiterate on this forum, I will liken you to that village boy Uzoho who got no brain for raising middle finger abroad thinking this is NPFL no take him to Afcon EWU.
Hahahahha….You cannot even articulate common insult well, yet you call me an illiterate…??? Thank you for coming here to disgrace yourself….lmao.
It will be a compliment to be likened to Uzoho….infact I wish my kids can achieve what he is achieving in his career….you just need to google francis odinaka uzoho to understand what I am talking of. As for you, If you know you are the true son of your father, kindly type in your real full names (and ID number) here and lets put in on google search….lets see what is grumbling in the evil forest that wouldn’t allow as go to the farm in peace…LMAO.
.
Its now obvious that there are so many cowards operating with dual identities on this forum of late. They think everyone here is as unintelligent as them.
according to all Nigeria soccer.
Super Eagles goalkeeper Francis Uzoho received the first red card of his career in the 23rd minute of Anorthosis’s 3-0 home win over Alki Oroklinis on Monday.
Uzoho was given his marching orders for unsportsmanlike conduct, shortly after Anorthosis had scored their second goal of the game.
It has come to light that the Deportivo de La Coruña loanee was dismissed after he gave the middle finger to a section of the Alki Oroklinis supporters who racially insulted him.
”He was repeatedly challenged with racist comments and with monkey sounds, he first showed his dissatisfaction to the fans without causing them, but they went ahead and continued with taunts,” Panikos Theodosiou revealed,
according to Goal Cyprus .
”The player apologizes to the rest of the fans and his team. But it is time to start in Cyprus to punish the actors rather than the victims, especially when we have to face racist attitudes.”
On Tuesday, the management of Alki Oroklinis stated that preliminary investigations conducted suggests that there was no racist attack on Uzoho and they are determined to remove such behaviors from the stadiums if this is proven.
If it is true and it’s likely that it is, it is still no reason to react. Professional football players do their talking with the ball. One has just got to look at how players like Raheim Sterling and even young players like Callum Hudson Odoi react to monkey chants and racist abuse.
If it’s got to him he should have called the match officials attention to it. That he reacted means that every time he plays from now on, a section of the opposition fans will target him in a bid to get him to react.
I’m sorry but it’s no excuse. That he responded shows a mental frailty that is dangerous at the top level
@dre, u need to take a chill pill, I never insulted u, stop being disrespectful bro.U dont have to insult ppl to express urself.U can disagree with my views maturely or u stay in ur line.We are here to enjoy and share ideas on this forum.