Sports
Four Goalkeepers Who Could Solve Super Eagles Goalkeeping Issues
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have not been able to have a reliable goalkeeper since Vincent Enyeama retired from international football in 2015.
The closest the Super Eagles have come in the search for a reliable goalkeeper was when Carl Ikeme got his place in the national team. But his sudden retirement in 2018 due to a health challenge has left the team with no bankable goalie.
Francis Uzoho who currently plays in Cyprus has been the number one goalkeeper of the Super Eagles but he has not been consistent as he is extremely prone to avoidable errors.
In his last 14 friendly games in Nigerian colours, he has conceded a whopping 22 goals, a performance that has made most Super Eagles fans agitate for his exit from the team ahead of the 2023 African Cup of Nations which will commence in Ivory Coast in January 2024.
Maduka Okoye who is supposed to be his competitor for the number one spot has not even made an appearance for his new club, Udinese so far this season.
In light of this, Naija News has compiled a list of four goalkeepers that could help to solve the goalkeeping issues in the Super Eagles team.
Below are the Four goalkeepers:
1. Tobias Lawal [LASK]
Tobias Lawal is an Austrian-born goalkeeper who has a Nigerian father and Austrian mother which makes him eligible to play for the Super Eagles.
The 23-year-old who is interested in playing for the Eagles has been invited once to the Super Eagles but couldn’t make it due to passport issues
He has conceded just seven goals in 11 appearances for Austrian Bundesliga side, LASK who are competing domestically and in the Europa League this season.
2. Noah Atubolu (Freiburg)
Noah Atubolu has a Nigerian father and a German mother which makes him eligible to play for the Super Eagles. He is currently playing consistently for the German Bundesliga side Freiburg.
Atubolu has kept four clean sheets and conceded 19 goals in 12 matches in all competitions so far this season.
3. Sebastian Osigwe (FC Lugano)
Sebastian Osigwe has a Nigerian father and a Swiss mother and he is still eligible to play for the Super Eagles at age 29.
Osigwe who is currently playing for Swiss club FC Lugano has kept 8 clean sheets in 33 matches to help the club win the Swiss Cup in 2022.
4. Jonathan Rasheed (IFK Varnamo)
Jonathan Rasheed has a Nigerian father and a Norwegian mother but has made it known that he would love to play for the Super Eagles.
The 31-year-old Norwagian-born goalkeeper has made six clean sheets in 18 games so far this season.