By Daily Sports Nigeria on November 16, 2023
Following his impressive start to the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League season, Bendel Insurance goalkeeper, Amas Obasogie, can be regarded as Nigeria’s most in-form shot stopper heading into their 2026 World Cup qualifiers, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Obasogie was called up as a replacement for Maduka Okoye who pulled out of the games.
He is the second home-based keeper in the squad after Enyimba’s Ojo Olorunleke.
The Bendel Insurance keeper has kept six clean sheets in seven games this season conceding only one goal.
Ojo, on his part, has conceded nine goals in seven matches keeping three clean sheets in all competitions for Enyimba so this season.
The much maligned Francis Uzoho has conceded two goals in the only game he has featured in this season for Omonia Nicosia since losing his place to Brazilian keeper Fabinho.
His only game for his club this season was against Anorthosis Famagusta and he featured for 44 minutes.
The Omonia Nicosia stopper has had an error-strewn run with the Eagles with his most glaring mistakes coming against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique.
In the Eagles’ 2-2 draw against the Saudis, Uzoho misjudged a flighted delivery, palming it into his own net while in their win over the Mozambicans, the Mambas scored early on after he failed to keep out a weak attempt by Gent Cipriano following a square ball into the Nigerian box.
Despite his lack of game time at club level and form, Eagles tactician, Jose Peseiro, continues to prefer Uzoho to other keepers to man the goal for the Eagles in recent games amid his unpardonable errors.
“In Nigeria, every time they attack the goalkeepers,” Peseiro told BBC.
“If I change them every time, or punish them when they make mistakes, one day I won’t have any players, because every player makes mistakes.
“Me, Uzoho and the players accept that. It is my obligation and my responsibility to keep the confidence and support our players.
“With me, Uzoho has only made one mistake until now.”
Uzoho has made 32 appearances conceding 33 goals with 12 clean sheets since he made his international debut in 2017 for the Eagles.
Source Punch Ng
Posted November 16, 2023
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