Goalkeepers are a special set of footballers – treated special, protected and almost petted by referees. The game itself allows them to dress distinctly from the rest of their team mates and even handle the ball within specific areas and in certain conditions with the hand.
The goalkeeping position was underrated for so long but it is a position which in the modern game, has grown in importance and become one of the most sensitive. It is why despite qualifying for the world cup in Russia with a game to spare, the Nigerian Super Eagles have remained mired in a goalkeeper crisis that beset the team when first choice goalie, Carl Ikeme was diagnosed with acute Leukemia almost a year ago.
Confined to the hospital bed as he began treatment for his debilitating ailment, Ikeme’s position in the Eagle’s team was up for anyone’s taking. Three trials, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi and lately, Francis Uzoho have all failed to cement the goal tender’s position and make it theirs. And a run in the CHAN Eagle’s team didn’t do much to raise the argument of former junior international, Dele Ajiboye.
All of these, have now left the Eagles set for a repeat of the disaster, 20 years ago on the way to the World Cup in France, when Peter Rufai was drafted in, pulled out from his spent career and thrown into the biggest stage in world football at the age of 35 for his swansong, years after he had lost his position to Ike Shorunmu who had suffered an injury that put paid to his world cup dreams. Abiodun Baruwa and Willie Opara were the back-up Goalies on Bora Militinovic’s team.
Unfortunate as this goalkeeping setback is, it has become a far too common occurrence with the Super Eagles and especially during build ups to the World Cup in France 98, as I pointed out earlier.
2002, Ike Shorunmu was one of a few senior players who survived a ‘soldering’ that followed the Mali 2002 Nations Cup. The other goalkeepers, Murphy Akanji and Ndubuisi Egbo were all axed. The air of uncertainty around team especially the goalkeeping department was tense. In the end, Coach Adegboye Onigbinde settled for two green horns, a certain Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide as seconders for the experienced Shorunmu.
Coach Onigbinde’s experiment with youth and adventure paid off and it began the start of more than a decade old era of rivalry between Enyeama and Ejide. Enyeama got his first piece of the World Cup action from the 2002 mundial and then in South Africa and in Brazil – each time, Ejide was a squad member of the team. But there was stability in the position. An average fan was sure of what to expect.
This has also raised the question of why Ejide didn’t succeed Enyeama after the latter’s unceremonious exit from the team. Perhaps Ejide is unlucky with the national team. Bar Berti Vogts, every other coach has preferred just anybody between the sticks. The condition is right for him now.
The goalkeeping department is open, he is still active and Coach Gernot Rohr is still experimenting but why hasn’t he been given a chance to fight for the position like all else?
And while you cannot argue with the choice of Ike Shorunmu succeeding Peter Rufai over the duo of Wilfred Agbonavbare and Alloy Agu who were Rufai’s deputies at USA 94, it stand reason on its head why Ejide wasn’t considered good enough to succeed Enyeama or Ikeme. Who did he offend?
At a time of emergency, why are we abandoning a quick fix solution?
There are three ways to solve our goalkeeping crisis.
The first one is the quick fix – the Ejide alternative. He is tested and therefore, experienced. Most importantly, he is active in his club and I dare say, is the only goalkeeper who is better than all of the current contenders for the position.
The second option is what Coach Gernot Rohr is attempting with the young Francis Uzoho. It’s commendable but he has short time to accomplish it before the Mundial kicks off in June. You can see that the coach has so much faith in the young lad.
The ‘Uzoho Project’ could pay off in the future if his development, especially at club level, should continue at a progressive rate. When Coach Onigbinde plucked Austin Ejide from Gabros International and Vincent Enyeama from Enyimba to Korea/Japan 2002, they were teenagers, same age as Uzoho, 19.
We know that at the moment he still has a lot to prove. Promising as he is, he is not dynamite – not a De Gea at 18, not a Donnarumma now and certainly of course, he is not an Iker Casillas at 18. What he showed in the matches against Poland and Serbia is promising. The coaches can take that and mould his psyche into a confident and assertive young keeper and then continue with him.
The third option is a longer term strategy. It seems that the production line of goalkeepers in country has stalled. Otherwise, how could a supposed footballing country – with a 20 team premier league and each of the starting goalkeepers are nationals but none of them is competitive enough to have sealed the position and save us the embarrassment?
I recently I went to watch a team coached by a childhood friend. They were largely U-17. All of the youngsters were playing as outfielders. Most of them in the advanced positions while the goalkeeping positions were tentative as nobody wanted to play in them.
Those agreed to tend the goals were petted to do so. They all had nicknames of famous outfield players. In our days, yours sincerely was nicknamed Khan after the German great, Oliver Khan. As a family of sportsmen, my younger brother was nicknamed Lehman after Jens, Oliver’s arch-rival for the Die Manschaft’s number one position.
Goalkeeping in football is a technical position. Young keepers need to learn the rudiments earlier than they currently do. A lot of young keepers didn’t set to become goalkeepers. Goalkeeping kits and gloves are hardly available for those who play in that position at the same time as their peers in the outfield positions.
When Enyeama made his debut for the Eagles, Oliver Khan was still the number one for Germany, David Seaman was still England’s first choice, Dida was still in goal for Brazil and Buffon was 24 year old. All of them were great goalkeepers, and replaced without a crisis after their retirement from international football.
That nearly three years after Enyeama left the scene, his space is still up for anyone to take, is evident of the dearth of goalkeepers in the country.
Who can prognosticate? May be an Uzoho or Ezenwa could spring surprises good enough to stop Argentine Star, Lionel Messi and any other top rated goal poacher in Russia when this year’s most prestigious soccer event gets underway in barely two months time.
