Maduka Okoye, Uzoho not good enough for Nigerian national team - Udeze

Damola Ogungbe 22:53 - 29.09.2022

Super Eagles goalkeepers Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho continue to come under heavy criticism for their recent performances for the Nigerian senior national team.

Both Okoye and Uzoho made high-profile errors leading to goals during friendly matches against the Desert Foxes of Algeria in the just-concluded international break.

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The Super Eagles failed to get a victory over two matches against their Algerian counterparts, playing a 2-2 draw with the home-based side before losing 2-1 to the Algerian first-team.

In both matches, a goalkeeper error led to a goal for the Algerians with Okoye caught in possession by Algerian striker Karim Aribi in the first match while Uzoho failed to save a 28-yard strike from Youcef Atal in the second match.

According to former Super Eagles star Ifeanyi Udeze, the Super Eagles coaching crew need to cast their nets wider in search of other goalkeepers who can be invited to the national team.

On BrilaFM's 'No Holds Barred' program, Udeze said: "We need to solve the issue in the goalkeeping department because this is the national team.

"And whether we like it or not there's no patience with a goalkeeper that needs one or two years to improve. Such patience is for club sides, not the national team."

The ex-Super Eagles left-back went on to state that if the current options in the national team are not 'good enough' for the role, others should be given an opportunity to stake a claim for the position.

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"In the national team, if you are not good enough, you have to give others the chance to try and if that person is good enough he should man the post, that's why it's the national team," Udeze concluded.

Super Eagles manager Jose Peseiro also called up Isreal-based Hapoel Jerusalem goalkeeper Adebayo Adeleye to the Nigerian national team for the latest round of fixtures.

Adeleye made his unofficial debut for the Super Eagles on Friday, September 23 in the 2-2 draw with the home-based Algerian national team but he was dropped to the bench in favour of Uzoho for the 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Algerian first-team.

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