Rohr confirms Uzoho as Eagles no 1, says he is very happy with his goalkeepers

Super Eagles handler, Gernot Rohr has confirmed Francis Uzoho as Super Eagles number one goalkeeper and rejected claims that there is a major goalkeeping problem in his team ahead of 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Gernot Rohr revealed while speaking to journalists after Nigeria’s 2-1 loss to England on Saturday that he is very pleased with the goalkeepers at his disposal because they are very good goalkeepers.

Francis Uzoho, Daniel Akpeyi, and Ikechuckwu Ezenwa had kept turn in between the post for the Super Eagles since Carl Ikeme’s health issues kept him out of football but it is now clear that Francis Uzoho who has kept in Eagles last four games will be the number one in Russia.

“For me, we don’t have a goalkeeper problem. No we don’t have a goalkeeper problem,” says Rohr to report who asked about the problems in Eagles’ goalkeeping department.

“We have we have three good goalkeepers. Now we give the possibilities to Francis to play because he needs experience of these big games.

“Playing in Wembley, playing already in Poland that were only 40,000, today was more, he had the atmosphere of World Cup already.”

Gernot Rohr then revealed the efforts he has made to prepare Francis for the task ahead and why he is special and preferred ahead of Ikechuckwu Ezenwa and Daniel Ikepyi.

“We sent our goalkeeper coach two times to Deportivo La Corona for ten days to help him also, he is only number three in La Corona but he is doing well with the reserve team.

“He has to continue to work, he is quiet, tall, he can come out, he is good on the line, but he has to work, what I like about this player is that he is very humble also, and we need something like that.”

Since Francis Uzoho kept clean sheets in Nigeria’s 4-2 win against Argentina (played 45 minutes in the second half after the goals had been scored), 1-0 win against Poland, he has since conceded 5 goals in three games (in 2-0 loss to Serbia, 1-1 draw against DR Congo and 2-1 loss to England).

Francis Uzoho will be tested again this Wednesday when Nigeria play their last World Cup warm-up game against the Czech Republic before playing against Croatia on the 16th of June in their first World Cup game in Russia.