Eagles: Why AFCON glory begins with good goalkeeping of old

Nwabili, Olorunleke, Uzoho and Enyeama

Super Eagles’ handlers are upbeat on Nigeria’s chances at the Cote d’Ivoire 2024 Africa Cup of Nations. But stakeholders are wary of prospects in the goalkeeping position, GOWON AKPODONOR reports.

The goalkeeper is one of the most important components of a football team. The role is unique because he or she is the member of the team that is not expected to make mistakes, which are often costly.

In modern football, clubs and countries spend time and resources to train their goalkeepers because they know that a good shot stopper can earn them many game-winning points.

A solid goalkeeper spreads confidence across his team’s backline such that the rest of the players have the assurance to pursue the task of winning their game.

Over the years, Nigeria has been blessed with top quality goalkeepers such that football fans go into every game knowing that when the last man is called into action, he will be equal to that task of saving his fatherland.

From the early 1970s through the 80s and down to 2014, Nigeria paraded some of the best goalkeepers in African football. From the era of Peter ‘The Cat’ Fregene, Joseph ‘Joe’ Erico, Emmanuel ‘Man Mountain’ Okala, Best Ogedegbe, Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu, Ike Shorunmu down to the days of Vincent Enyeama, Nigerians had no reason to fret over who manned their goalpost.

In fact, a goalkeeper, Okala, was the first Nigerian to win the African Footballer of the Year award when it was organised by the Association of African Sports Journalists (ASJU).

However, in recent times, like many other sectors of the nation’s economy, Nigerian football followers are faced with a goalkeeping problem that could scuttle the country’s bid to win its fourth Africa Cup of