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PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 4:34 am
by Enugu II
Uzoho not in Ezenwa’s class, says Rufai
ON AUGUST 9, 20184:20 AMIN SPORTS0 COMMENTS Ezenwa-Uzoho
By Jacob Ajom
Peter Rufai who kept for Nigeria at the 1994 and 1998 World Cup tournaments gave his verdict on goalkeepers Francis Uzoho and Ikechukwu Ezenwa, coach Gernot Rohr’s first and second choice goalkeepers for the national team. Reviewing Uzoho’s performance at the World Cup in Russia, Rufai said the young man did his best and for his age, he could be excused for some of the mistakes he made in the course of the tournament. “Uzoho tried, but if you ask me to choose between him and Ezenwa, I will go for Ezenwa,” Rufai said.
He observed that Uzoho did not have the finesse of a great goalkeeper and was still raw. He said the mistakes the goalkeeper made did not result in goals that was why his defects were not too conspicuous to the ordinary fan.
“What you look out for in a goalkeeper is his ability to be ‘clean’. By this I mean his movement, the way he does his catches, how he parries the ball and general technicalities required of a goalkeeper. “This is where Ezenwa has an edge over him. Ezenwa’s movement in the goal line, his commanding presence and how he organises his back four was what we missed at the World Cup in Russia. He is a natural goalkeeper.”
Rufai said Uzoho had every opportunity to shine. “He got the coach’s backing and was primed for greatness. If Ezenwa got the same kind of support, I am sure we would have been talking of something else by now.”
Read more at:
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/uzo ... ays-rufai/
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 4:49 am
by EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA
We should also note that Rufai has problems with his left eye lately.
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 5:49 am
by Rawlings
BTW, how old is Rufai?
His movement at the 1998 world cup was like a 50 year-old
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 6:21 am
by Cmoke
Campaign after election!
How soon we forget all the goals Uzoho saved
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 9:19 am
by jette1
Cmoke wrote:Campaign after election!
How soon we forget all the goals Uzoho saved
lets tell the truth and shame the devil; ezenwa would have stop that messi cheap goal and the 86th minute goal. his reflexes are space age compared to uzohos
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 9:30 am
by theYemster
jette1 wrote:Cmoke wrote:Campaign after election!
How soon we forget all the goals Uzoho saved
lets tell the truth and shame the devil; ezenwa would have stop that messi cheap goal and the 86th minute goal. his reflexes are space age compared to uzohos
It's possible, but since we're dealing in hypotheticals then it's also conceivable that Ezenwa might've conceded some other girls that Uzoho saved.
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 9:35 am
by pajimoh
theYemster wrote:jette1 wrote:Cmoke wrote:Campaign after election!
How soon we forget all the goals Uzoho saved
lets tell the truth and shame the devil; ezenwa would have stop that messi cheap goal and the 86th minute goal. his reflexes are space age compared to uzohos
It's possible, but since we're dealing in hypotheticals then it's also conceivable that Ezenwa might've conceded some other
girls that Uzoho saved.
What's on your mind this morning? Abeg bring it back to football
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 9:55 am
by fabio
Uzoho is not good enough for this level.....
Playing in the 3rd division (of course Pinnick mindset, anything abroad is better than anything in Nigeria).
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:16 am
by theYemster
pajimoh wrote:theYemster wrote:jette1 wrote:Cmoke wrote:Campaign after election!
How soon we forget all the goals Uzoho saved
lets tell the truth and shame the devil; ezenwa would have stop that messi cheap goal and the 86th minute goal. his reflexes are space age compared to uzohos
It's possible, but since we're dealing in hypotheticals then it's also conceivable that Ezenwa might've conceded some other
girls that Uzoho saved.
What's on your mind this morning? Abeg bring it back to football
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 11:51 am
by achuzia-the-air-raid
fabio wrote:Uzoho is not good enough for this level.....
Playing in the 3rd division (of course Pinnick mindset, anything abroad is better than anything in Nigeria).
Gbam
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 12:27 pm
by 1naija
I agree with Rufai. I would even take Akpeyi ahead of Uzoho at this point.
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:12 pm
by BigMuze
Uzoho has very suspect reflexes but Ezenwa could have given away a different kind of cheap goals from crosses into the box
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:38 pm
by maceo4
achuzia-the-air-raid wrote:fabio wrote:Uzoho is not good enough for this level.....
Playing in the 3rd division (of course Pinnick mindset, anything abroad is better than anything in Nigeria).
Gbam
Imagine WC exposure can't even save him from going back to division 3 footie...na real wa
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:52 pm
by Bigpokey24
Uzoho no be am right now... at least he got the experience.. hopefuly he builds from that, but that weak goal from Messi or the one from ROja, Enyeam would have saved both
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 2:35 pm
by Tobi17
I still think Ezenwa is a more composed goal keeper than Uzoho... his ground level reflex is far more reassuring than Uzoho's.
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 2:51 pm
by mcal
...Peter Rufia told the truth as a goalie.
Uzoho did well, but experience and exposure counts on the big stage.
As an observer/fan, Ezenwa's experience could have yielded greater returns for Nigeria.
Anyway, the deed is done, abroad is better than the zoo.
Heck when I enter MMA dem zoo-customs/immigras/olopas on the road go bow for a dishwaher, a cabbie, a respected menial jobber from abroad.
Na so shiit dey role for our land
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 3:13 pm
by Cellular
Enugu II wrote:Uzoho not in Ezenwa’s class, says Rufai
ON AUGUST 9, 20184:20 AMIN SPORTS0 COMMENTS Ezenwa-Uzoho
By Jacob Ajom
Peter Rufai who kept for Nigeria at the 1994 and 1998 World Cup tournaments gave his verdict on goalkeepers Francis Uzoho and Ikechukwu Ezenwa, coach Gernot Rohr’s first and second choice goalkeepers for the national team. Reviewing Uzoho’s performance at the World Cup in Russia, Rufai said the young man did his best and for his age, he could be excused for some of the mistakes he made in the course of the tournament. “Uzoho tried, but if you ask me to choose between him and Ezenwa, I will go for Ezenwa,” Rufai said.
He observed that Uzoho did not have the finesse of a great goalkeeper and was still raw. He said the mistakes the goalkeeper made did not result in goals that was why his defects were not too conspicuous to the ordinary fan.
“What you look out for in a goalkeeper is his ability to be ‘clean’. By this I mean his movement, the way he does his catches, how he parries the ball and general technicalities required of a goalkeeper. “This is where Ezenwa has an edge over him. Ezenwa’s movement in the goal line, his commanding presence and how he organises his back four was what we missed at the World Cup in Russia. He is a natural goalkeeper.”
Rufai said Uzoho had every opportunity to shine. “He got the coach’s backing and was primed for greatness. If Ezenwa got the same kind of support, I am sure we would have been talking of something else by now.”
Read more at:
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/uzo ... ays-rufai/
Uzoho did well at the World Cup.
He was not the problem with the team.
I don't recall him parrying the ball to an opponent nor him mishandling crosses. I think only the Messi's goal is one where I think a better goalie might have saved it... but the beauty of Messi is that he makes some goals look routine. Ask Courtois...
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 10:21 am
by Senator WIRES
EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA wrote:We should also note that Rufai has problems with his left eye lately.
Glaucoma
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:28 am
by Cristao II
Uzoho was never the problem neither was goal keeping.
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 1:38 pm
by oloye
People need to get a job seriously. Uzoho conceeded goals any normal keeper would concede. When people start doing the iffy business, it is the first sign of joblessness. There is a reason the coaches favored Uzoho, i spoke at length with Alloy Agu on this, and he explained the position of the coaches. Rufai is entitled to his opinion, just as any fan or person with football view. But such view must learn to respect those who make the decisions, because those who do are with these players every day and have all the details needed to make the right decision.
Uzoho still has a lot of development to do, but i can wager my bet on who we will be talking about in the next 3-4 years career progression wise! I wish Ezenwa well, he impressed me with his display during the qualifiers, but i wont call him better than Uzoho in anyway, both are probably in the same category. But one thing which Uzoho brought to the keepers department is the ability to mop up balls in the air, even Rufai at his height was a flapping bird when the ball comes flying across the box.
The two are currently the best we have, i may say that perhaps the other keepers should have been given a chance too especially in the build up to the World cup especially when it comes to the friendlies. But i want to believe that the handlers identified height as an issue with Ezenwa and were not convinced , hence the desperation to get Uzoho up to speed.
Uzoho did not disappoint, he did above what was expected, nevertheless like any other player , he there is still room for improvement, but he did what he needed to do. We should be looking at ways of building upon what he has done, not putting some cheap divisive article in the newspaper.
What else, claim that the coaches probably collected bribe to field him above Ezenwa, looks like the typical naija mentality is never satisfied until he tears a building down.
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 1:54 pm
by john12
Abeg oloye nwanne your mama born you well. To much wisdom! But please sometimes you should not respond to a thread just allow yours to do what yours are capable of doing
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 1:56 pm
by john12
They have transferred their blames from rohr now to uzoho very soon it will be mike turn. Imagine a 19 year old came from oblivion to snatch shirt from ezenwa and akpeyi and people are talking. Both akpeyi and ezenwa deserves a dirty slap for allowing that to happen and it was deservedly
Re: PETER RUFAI: On Ezenwa v Uzoho. . .
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 1:57 pm
by john12
If you think uzoho has slow reflex then go and rewatch Nigeria vs Algeria home and away, Nigeria vs Zambia home etc and see how confident ezenwa and akpeyi made you feek