The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) alongside head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Jose Peseiro are putting their efforts to bring an end to the goalkeeper crisis rocking the team, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Ahead of next year’s Africa Cup of Nations all three senior goalkeepers of the senior national team of Nigeria don’t have the total trust of the coach to be first choice as they all have been guilty of dropping howlers when called upon.
For now Francis Uzoho has the faith of the coach but his lack of game time at Cyprus side Omonia Nicosia is a huge concern, the same situation that ex number one Maduka Okoye is facing at Udinese.
Adebayo who is the only one who enjoys regular run of games in Israel with Hapoel Jerusalem don’t seem to have the faith of the coach, and it has prompted a search for other options.
One of the players is on loan Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, his progress is one that has been tracked by Peseiro and now head on the technical department of the NFF Austine Eguavoen has joined in his pursuit.
Okonkwo returned to Arsenal after a hugely successful loan spell in Austria with Sturm Graz, but with no chance of getting regular games he was shipped out on loan again but this time around to League Two side Wrexham.
The 22 year old hasn’t looked out of place and this has reignited Nigeria’s interest in luring him from England where he is a junior international, already a meeting has been scheduled with Eguavoen and the player has already gotten a Nigerian passport in preparation for the move.
He is expected to officially apply for a switch of nationality after the talks with Peseiro and Eguavoen, hopefully it will be sorted before next year when the Africa Cup of Nations begins.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
