Former Super Eagles forward, Emmanuel Amuneke, has warned national team Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, not to make the mistake of dragging goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, back into the nation’s senior team.
The Franco-German coach had signified intention to lure the former Lille of France goalkeeper back to the Super Eagles after receiving unpleasant news that Carl Ikeme had been down with acute leukaemia.
Ikeme recently returned with some abnormal blood tests during his pre-season testing and is now undergoing treatment following the diagnosis.
Eagles’ technical crew had been warming up to receive Ikeme back after a long spell, having been out of action due to injury.
But the latest news of leukaemia has completely dashed the hope of featuring the Wolves keeper in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Cameroon next month.
The issue of who would man the Eagles post has been the talk of the town shortly after South Africa’s Bafana Bafana came to Nigeria to subdue the team in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.
Pundits blamed the defeat on the defence and goalkeeper but ex-professional goalkeepers exonorated the South Africa-based goalkeeper, Daniel Akpeyi, saying that all the players in the team failed to play to their full potentials.
According to Amuneke, Enyeama should be allowed to concentrate on his career, adding that he has paid his dues in the national team.
Now that Enyeama is battling to fix himself into any club in Europe after he was sacked by the French club, he may need the national team to reshape his career.
Portugal’s Euro 2016 hero Eder, Nigeria’s legend, Enyeama and France international Rio Mavuba were among 11 players who have been frozen out over the summer by new Lille coach, Marcelo Bielsa.
“Nigeria should encourage other goalkeepers to rise like Enyeama. We should not condemn the up-coming goalkeepers. Enyeama cannot keep forever. We should try and bring other goalkeepers up to standard and forget about Enyeama. This is the time to face the challenges and do something about the goalkeeping department,” he said.
Former Eagles goalkeepers, Ike Shorunmu, Emmanuel Okalla and Abiodun Baruwa had advised Rohr to make the best of the reserved goalkeepers in the national team, saying that there are many good goalkeepers in the Nigerian league.
They also urged Rohr to try all the goalkeepers who recently featured for Nigeria in the under-aged international competitions for Eagles number one position.
