FRANCIS UZOHO -- INTERVIEW

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I am not mad, says Eagles goalkeeper Uzoho





Nigeria’s Super Eagles face Poland in a pre-World Cup friendly on Friday in Wroclaw, Poland as both teams step up their preparations for the global showpiece billed for Russia this summer.

www.aclsports.com have been spending time with the Eagles in their training base in the Polish city and the team’s goalkeeping prospect Francis Odinaka Uzoho shared some of his goalkeeping stories with Calvin Emeka Onwuka.

Uzoho was an unused substitute for Nigeria at the 2013 FIFA Under-17 World Championship in the United Arab Emirates and the ever smiling lad was quick to dismiss the notion that every goalkeeper in a team must have some degree of madness in the quest for command and excellence.

“I’m actually not mad,” said Uzoho with a broad laughter.

“I’m not mad. I understand what people mean but it’s just what people think about goalkeepers. Actually, goalkeepers have to be calm so it is contrary. It is not what they think; a goalkeeper needs to be calm to be able to be a good goalkeeper,” added the 19-year old.

Super Eagles debut

Uzoho’s rise to the top of international football has been meteoric. Only in the summer of 2016, he joined RC Deportivo La Coruna’s B side from Qatar’s Aspire Academy but a dramatic decision by former manager Pepe Mel ensured he made his LaLiga debut in October 2017.

What swiftly followed was an invitation to Nigeria’s senior side and his subsequent bow with the team in a high profile friendly game against Argentina last November.

“I felt happy (with the debut) although it was a decision taken before the game started.

“So, I felt good and when second half came and they asked me to enter into the field, I was really happy.”

Asked if he felt nervous coming up at such stage? He quickly retorted.

“Tension? No, I don’t think so.”



Goalkeeping idol

Many Nigerian football fans are worried as regards who stays between the sticks for their beloved Super Eagles in Russia. Nigeria’s first choice goalkeeper at the last two World Cup finals (South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014); Vincent Enyeama has not played for the team in over two years and has not played at senior club level in nine months.

Substantive first choice Carl Ikeme was diagnosed with acute leukemia last year and his replacements have not really inspired comfidence. Uzoho is one that is highly rated by team’s head coach Gernot Rohr and could just be the long sought messiah in the position. Uzoho reveals Enyeama, who had about 100 caps for the Eagles is his goalkeeping idol.

“Talk of now and when I was growing up, my idol was Vincent Enyeama because I watched him a lot and also David De Gea because I’m a Manchester United fan.

“Both of them are the goalkeepers I looked up to and still looking up to now,” he says.

Uzoho has the chance to further enhance his credentials when the Eagles face Poland and Serbia over the next five days. Interview Video here

Interview written by Football Chief, Fisayo Dairo

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He used to be a striker?

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and also David De Gea because I’m a Manchester United fan.

Francis Uzoho, a Manchester United fan

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https://www.aclsports.com/10626-2/

Uzoho: I will be honoured to meet Enyeama



New Super Eagles goalkeeper Francis Odinaka Uzoho cannot wait to meet his goalkeeping idol Vincent Enyeama.

The 19-year old has impressed in his first two games for Nigeria’s senior national team – the friendly wins over Argentina and Poland – and he is on the road to becoming the first goalkeeper whose name is not Enyeama to play for Nigeria at the World Cup in sixteen years.

The Deportivo Fabril star had told ACLSports that Enyeama, contracted to French club Lille is the one he looks up to in our recent interview with him in Wroclaw (https://www.aclsports.com/i-not-mad-say ... per-uzoho/) and he is hopeful of meeting him some day.

“I have never had the chance to speak with him. I have never met him before,” Uzoho told www.aclsports.com “Yes he is my hero but I’ve not had the chance to meet him and of course I will like to meet him, like, I’ll be honoured to meet him,” he added with a visible sense of expectation.



After showing some form of nervousness in the first half of Nigeria’s win over Poland on Friday, the lanky Under-17 World Cup winner showed his qualities in the second half to endear himself more into the hearts of Nigerians.

Uzoho’s big moment came ten minutes after the break when he denied Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski from point blank range.

“You need calmness. Many goalkeepers I watch in that situation are actually calm,” said Uzoho while talking about the one-on-one situations.

“So many goalkeepers in that situation lose their calmness and they don’t know what to do at that point. If you stay long for a while, you will probably be able to intimidate the striker and save the ball.”

Asked what would happen if he meets a certain Lionel Messi in a one-on-one situation in Russia?

“(Laughs) I will do my job. I will do what I have to do in a one-on-one situation with Messi like I was taught in my club and here (in Nigerian camp). If I win the challenge, fine. If I don’t, it’s okay.”

With his displays in the two games, he looks almost certain to be among Nigeria’s three goalkeepers to Russia. The Aspire Academy product is however not counting his chicks before they are hatched.

“I wasn’t expecting it to be this fast,” he said about his meteoric rise. “Even till now, I’m having a free mind because I am young and I am not all that focused on the tournament so that it won’t bring me down if anything should happen at the end.

“Up till now, I’m still hoping on anything that happens at last. But I’m very happy and that’s just it.”

Uzoho and his Super Eagles teammates leave Poland on Saturday for London where they will face Serbia next Tuesday.