Former Super Eagles Goalkeepers’ Trainer, Ike Shorunmu has urged the national team manager, Gernot Rohr to give all invited goalkeepers equal chance to prove their worth ahead of Russia 2018 World Cup.
He added that the department would be best served if Rohr did not pick any of the goalkeepers as his number one choice for the position adding that preference for one of them ahead of a major championship would psychologically weigh down the others’ performance in training.
The Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup goalkeeper also explained that the present keepers active in their various clubs, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Francis Uzoho, Daniel Akpeyi and likely Dele Ajiboye are the only hands available to jostle for the number one spot in the Super Eagles at the moment, saying that all the goaltenders should be encouraged to give their best.
According to him “It is dangerous to create the impression that a particular goalkeeper is the number one as others need to be active and build self-confidence ahead of the championship.
He noted that the active keepers should be made to work hard to get first team shirt adding that Ajiboye had the ‘’confidence to come in when Ezenwa sustained an injury in CHAN Championship’’ because he was trained at the same pace with Ezenwa.
He maintained that every goalkeeper in Eagles team must be trained to be at his best in case of circumstances like injury hits any of the others. He stated that best keepers are gotten when coaches announce the first choice goalkeeper two days before the World Cup.