By Daily Sports on October 16, 2019
Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has explained that he decided to replace injured first choice goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho with Fortuna Düsseldorf’s Maduka Okoye during the Brazil versus Nigeria friendly match in Singapore because he felt the home-based Ikechukwu Ezenwa was match rusty.
Brazil forced Nigeria to a 1-1 draw in the friendly game played on Sunday.
Speaking after the match, Rohr noted that Ezenwa, who is number two in the pecking order of goalkeepers, has not tasted action since the conclusion of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, while Okoye was active for Fortuna Düsseldorf’s reserve team in the Regionalliga West.
“We decided to put in Maduka because Ezenwa didn’t play for months, not even in the CHAN Team,” Rohr said in an interview with the Super Eagles Media Team.
“He didn’t have any experience of competition in the last three months so we decided to play with Maduka because he was playing for his club.”
Rohr regretted that Uzoho had to leave the game because of injury, praying the goalkeeper would recover soon.
He added: “Francis had a great match, we regret so much his injury, he will have examinations tomorrow so we will see exactly.
“He is playing again in his club so he can come back with us to play. I hope he will not be out for a long time because we have two important matches to play, against Benin in Nigeria and Lesotho, so we have a lot of work to do.” (The Guardian)
•PHOTO: Gernot Rohr
Source Daily Sports
Posted October 16, 2019
You may also like...
Okowa Pre-Season Tournament Enters Day 5 •How Niger...
Eto’o nets first hat-trick in 3 years
Sports editors knock NFF over Eagles’ World Cup...
NFF To Begin Prosecution Of violent Fans Soon...
Newcastle want to be 'top club in world'...
D’Tigress crush Congo to claim second win

NPFL: Rangers win big as Nasarawa shock Abia
Nigeria know World Table Tennis Champs foes today
Bayelsa athletics boss Oredipe maps out dev plans
Falcons stars dominate IFFHS Africa XI
Eguavoen backs NPFL talents for Nigeria squad despite CHAN failure
He’s very strong, Simeone returns Osimhen praise
Joshua boxing return still uncertain
NBA star Bane eyes Nigeria switch
Palmer 'very, very happy' at Chelsea, says Rosenior
AFCON 2025: VAR recording discloses what referee said before Morocco's penalty miss against Senegal
AFCON 2025 highlights: World-class stadiums, VAR drama, record attendance
Oliseh slams Osimhen for costing Eagles’ AFCON trophy
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,494 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (54,788 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (52,684 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,344 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,277 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,187 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,054 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,608 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (50,787 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,314 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (47,704 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,172 views)