Just In: Gernot Rohr finally decides on Super Eagles 1st choice goalkeeper!

Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has finally decided on who will be the first choice goalkeeper of the team.

Gernot Rohr, since Carl Ikeme was forced to retire from the team due to illness in July 2017, has used different goalkeepers between the sticks.

However, in recent times, Francis Uzoho, Daniel Akpeyi, Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Maduka Okoye have been the regular features in the team except in the case of an injury to any of them.

While speaking to ESPN ahead of Super Eagles second leg Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Lesotho, Gernot revealed that Sparta Rotterdam goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye will be Super Eagles first-choice goalkeeper henceforth.

Gernot Rohr revealed that he didn’t make the decision alone but he and the goalkeeper trainer, Aloy Agu reached a consensus before a decision was reached.

No. 1 is Maduka. These decisions, I take them with [goalkeeper coach Alloy Agu] because he is a specialist for goalkeeper training.

Myself and Alloy, we agreed that it’s Maduka. We have the experienced [Daniel Akpeyi] doing good matches with this club in South Africa.

We have the young [Francis Uzoho] coming back after injury, but he has to play also now not only on the bench. We have also [Matthew Yakubu]. There’s good potential now because this position was a big problem for us so we have more now

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Maduka Okoye made his debut for the Super Eagles in a friendly match against the Selecao of Brazil in Singapore. The then 20-year-old came in as a substitute after Francis Uzoho got injured.

Okoye has been a regular feature in the team since then and he was in goal in the disappointing four-all draw against Sierra-Leone in Asaba in 2020 which attracted some criticisms which faded away in the second leg as he put up an impressive performance in the second leg which ended goalless.

Gernot Rohr will expect Maduka Okoye to put up another stellar performance when the team take on Lesotho at the Teslim Balogun Stadium next month.