…As Ikeme battles leukaemia
By Gbenga Jolaosho Abuja
As Nigeria is looking forward to the back-to-back World Cup 2018 qualifi ers game against Cameroon in August and September, Super Eagles technical adviser Gernot Rohr may be forced to recall goalkeeper Dele Aiyenugba into his squad since there is no possibility of Carl Ikeme returning to playing football very soon. Ikeme, who has been Nigeria fi rst-choice goalkeeper after the exit of Vincent Enyeama, was diagnosed with acute leukaemia, and he is expected to “start an immediate course of chemotherapy”. A statement released by his English club, Wolves, on Th ursday revealed that the Eagles goalkeeper was diagnosed of the ailment following preseason medical examination showing that he is suff ering from leukaemia. Wolves further stated that the 31-year-old stopper will now start “a lengthy battle against the disease.”
Th is sad news about Ikeme’s state of health has thus further deepens the goalkeeper crisis rocking the Nigeria senior national team, putting the Eagles technical crew in a dilemma of fi nding a suitable replacement, especially after the country’s abysmal showing against South Africa in the AFCON 2019 Qualifi er played in Uyo, Akwa Ibom. In the AFCON 2019 Qualifi er against South Africa, Coach Rohr used Daniel Akpeyi in the absence of Ikeme, but the Chippa United man failed to impress as Nigeria was handed 0-2 defeat by the Bafana Bafana.
And now that the German tactician has promised to look for an experienced shot stopper ahead of the two-leg clashes against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, and couple with the fact that Enyeama has refused to yield to all entreaties made to him to return to the national team, Aiyenugba therefore seem to remain the only option left on line. Aiyenugba kept 33 games last
season for Hapoel Ashkelon in the Israeli top division, following his move from Bnei Yehuda where he has been since 2009, and today remains the most experienced goalkeeper that Rohr can draft in against the veracious Cameroonians since as he has consistently maintained that Dele Alampasu is not ripe yet for a game of big magnitude like world cup qualifi er. Th e 33 year old Aiyenugba last kept goal for Nigeria in 2011 against Guinea, a game Nigeria drew 2-2, hence missed out on the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Cameroon are second on the table having secured two points from two games while Nigeria have a maximum six points from two games.
