Rohr To Step Up Search For New Goalkeeper : Young Uzoho Not A Top GK At The Moment

Published: November 26, 2018

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has said that he will step up his search for a goalkeeper to bolster the side ahead of next year's Africa Cup of Nations.

Goalkeepers have been likened to wine and get better and better with age; the German noted that Elche netminder Francis Uzoho is not up there with the best because of his age.

Of the 72 goalkeepers named on the rosters for the 2018 World Cup, Uzoho was the youngest at nineteen and only celebrated his 20th birthday last month.

''The goalkeeper is very young and still improving. He’s just 19, you can’t be at the top especially in that position, when you are only 19,'' Rohr told Sports Editors at a media parley in Lagos.

In other departments, Rohr is on the lookout for new defenders, midfielders and strikers ahead of the tournament in Cameroon.

''In the defence also, Balogun is not playing in his club, it’s a problem. He was not really fit in South Africa, but I hope he will play much more now. We have to search for solutions in the defence. We’ve found a solution in the left-back. We found this player in Germany (Jamilu Collins) giving us this satisfaction.

''Now we have to also watch the midfield again because some players can be injured or suspended like it happened in South Africa. We saw John Ogu, he did very well, he’s experienced and powerful.

''We have the young (Oghenekaro) Etebo playing in Stoke but he has to improve. We saw again Mikel Agu, who did well in Asaba and we are still searching for other opportunities in this department.

''Also, our strikers, we saw Ighalo’s comeback, which made us happy but we have to search.''

The Super Eagles will return to action in March 2019 when they tackle Seychelles in a dead rubber Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

Igho Kingsley