Sports

2018 World Cup: Rohr reveals Super Eagles keeper who will face Messi

Published

7 years ago

April 23, 2018

Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, has said he is not scared to field young goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho, at the 2018 World Cup.
Uzoho, 19, has started the last two friendlies Nigeria played against Poland and Serbia.

“I don’t think goalkeeping is the weak link in my team.

“After we lost Carl Ikeme to sickness, we had what seemed like a goalkeeping crisis but Ikechukwu Ezenwa did well in the qualifiers but we kept looking for options.

“Francis Uzoho came as an option because to go to the World cup, you require two good goalkeepers and I must say he has done well in the three games he has played for the Super Eagles that I won’t be afraid to start him in our opening game against Croatia at the World Cup in Russia.

“Francis is good and tall, and he is ready to learn. He did well in the friendly games against Argentina and Poland with two clean sheets and conceded two goals against Serbia in his third game in which I experimented with some players and tactics.

“I don’t believe he will get stage fright playing against the likes of Messi and other big names in Russia, because after playing against the likes of Lewandowski of Poland, Aguero and Di Maria of Argentina, I am optimistic that he would rise to the occasion in Russia,” Rohr told CompleteSport.

Rohr also revealed he will submit his 35-man squad for the World Cup by May 4.