Rohr: Eagles will go to AFCON with a good goalkeeper

Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr, has confessed that he needs to declare a state of emergency on the goalkeeping department in the senior national team ahead of the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.

Eagles presently have three goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho, Daniel Akpeyi and Ikechukwu Ezenwa but after a high profile mistake made by Uzoho in the concluding fixture of the AFCON qualifiers against Seychelles which gifted the Pirates a goal in the Eagles 3-1 win, Rohr disclosed that Nigeria must parade a good goalkeeper at the AFCON proper.

He said he would still give Uzoho the benefit of doubt because he had a commendable performance at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and that the three goalkeepers and others that will be given invitation have between now and June to prove they have what it takes to be the Eagles number one goaltender in Egypt.

The Franco-German said even though he won’t judge Uzoho by the single mistake he made against Seychelles he and his assistants will be beaming their searchlight on the three goalkeepers and others they are able to scout to ensure that the department does not turn to Eagles’ weak link.

“We have a goalkeeper coach( Alloy Agu) nor even two. My assistant, Imama (Amapakabo), a former goalkeeper is also another option to seek advise on the goalkeepers we have in the team,” Rohr told journalists.

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“I listen a lot to my assistants for the goalkeeper position. They made the choice to invite these three goalkeepers. We will have a look at the goalkeeping department because the position is very important.

” I saw the game between Libya and South Africa in Sfax and South African goalkeeper had a good game but he made a mistake and conceded a penalty kick. We need a good goalkeeper for the AFCON. We have the chance to train for like three weeks because the season in Italy will finish late and players need like seven to 10 days of rest to be prepared for the task ahead.”