Super Eagles Team B Goalkeeper, Dele Ajiboye, has said he has no regret over his exclusion from the final 23-man list by Coach Gernot Rohr for World Cup in Russia.
Ajiboye was among the players dropped from the Eagles after the international friendly match against DR Congo in Port Harcourt.
Speaking with The Guardian at the presentation of a cheque to the CHAN Eagles by the Lagos State Sports Commission Chairman, Dr Kweku Tandor, on behalf of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Ajiboye said his time would come.
“I did not believe that I would be in the camp in the first place. Right there, everybody encouraged me. I tried my best to make the team during the training but the coach has the final decision.
“After all those in the team were there before me and I knew that it was never going to be easy replacing them.
I believe there will be another opportunity for me in the nearest future,” he said.
On his expectation of the team at the Mundial, the Plateau United goaltender said: “I believe Eagles will do well at the World Cup and I want to tip Nigeria for the semifinals because I believe we have the players that can do the country proud based on what I saw in the camp.
“The only thing I think may work against them is the issue of money, which I believe have been settled before they left the country.”
He stated that the only time he gets downcast was watching one of his contemporaries at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup, De Gea keeps for Manchester United of England.
“I refused to watch any of Manchester United’s games because of De Gea. Watching him reminds me of the U-17 World Cup where I was picked as the best goalkeeper,” he stated.
On the cheque presentation, Ajiboye thanked Ambode for fulfilling his promise, saying that this will spur the players to greater height.
The representative of the governor, Tandoh, said the money was in appreciation of the players good run at the CHAN in Morocco, adding, “In line with governor disposition, he made a pledge to the team and he released the money to the team through the sports commission.
This gesture is to appreciate and encourage the players to do better in future competition.”
