_ The Ghost from a Haunted Past _
At the time, I frowned at the decision to install Okoye as Super Eagles’ numero uno, not so much for technical abilities (which itself wasn’t yet refined or up to scratch) but because I felt his mental shoulders were not broad enough to support national team responsibilities.
“It was hard for me as a young boy to go through (the mistake against Tunisia in the afcon) after it happened.” Said Okoye recently.
Nigeria crashed out of the 2022 Afcon 1:0 against Tunisia in the second round following a goal conceded by Okoye which most observers considered largely saveable.
For one, the coaches (Eguavoen and Rohr at the time) employed a loose formation that offered less robust protection for any goalkeeper. And then the goalkeeper himself was still learning the ropes which created the perfect recipe for disaster.
Despite his maturity now, he is still not immune from mistakes but he should now be better equipped to reduce propensity to errors and better deal with the consequences of those errors should they occur.
Nigeria still has a realistic chance of qualifying for the 2026 world cup via the backdoor of playoffs. Integral to this effort would be having a competent and mature goalkeeper with refined skills.
We now have Stanley Nwabili who hasn’t put a foot wrong. Yes, since the Afcon – where he kept record number of clean sheets – he has managed to leak 6 goals in 4 games. But these were not entirely his fault: the Super Eagles have departed from the defensive discipline that defined their approach at the afcon leading to hemorrhaging at the back.
From his recent public statements, one can read between the lines that Okoye is keen to reclaim the starting 11 slot that he himself vacated due to mental immaturity. It has to be recalled that, although he received abuse on social media from equally immature fans following the Tunisia debacle, Coach Eguavoen and in fact several high ranking members of NFF still held him in high esteem and had no qualms for him to continue in-post.
In his self-imposed exile, Nwabili has filled the void solidly as a traditional goalkeeper and a modern ball-player. It will be pure injustice to just brush him aside for a remorseful Okoye.
But, should Nwabili get injured or become unavailable for any reason, the road to starting 11 place will be free for Okoye.
For now, his PR (Public Relations) exercise to win back hearts and minds of fans, laced with quality performances in the Italian League appear to be hitting the right notes with the fans.
But the tune produced by his performance that Super Eagles fans will have to dance to when indeed he does make his return is what would banish, once and for all, the ghost of that fateful game against Tunisia in 2022!
Comments