Ex international, Peter Rufai has kicked against the invitation of Fortuna Dusseldorf II goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye to the Super Eagles camp ahead of the international friendly game against Ukraine.
Okoye was named among the 22 players that Super Eagles technical adviser, Gernot Rohr invited for the game and also the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Squirrels of Benin in November.
However, the 1994 AFCON winning goalkeeper, told Soccernet.ng that Rohr should have invited players from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) than inviting the youngster.
“I am not practically against the invitation of Maduka Okoye to the Super Eagles. However, I feel that Gernot Rohr should have extended his tentacles to the NPFL considering the fact that we have a better goalkeeper in the league.
“I found a product of the Nigerian League and many other gaolkeepers like that but my point of the argument is that Rohr should have broadened his scope of discovery young goalkeepers in the league than inviting Okoye.
Rufai earned 65 caps for Nigeria, and represented the nation at two FIFA World Cups, always as starter: 1994 (Nigeria’s first ever appearance, where he also acted as captain) and 1998, also helping the Super Eagleswin the 1994 African Cup of Nations in Tunisia.
This post was last modified on August 17, 2019 6:48 pm
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Soccernet.ng should review its headline wording process. The title of this post says Rufai "kicks against" while the content included Rufai saying he does not "kick against". This is quite confusing and contradictory. The editorial process of this blog should be reviewed and put in a more ethical shape.
This is just a honest feedback.
We must stop this madness of denigrating local playerservices. Keshi won the 2013 nation's cup with six home based players. I strongly believe we have a good number of goalkeepers playing locally, they are only waiting to be exposed OR do I say pay to be called to national team
We must stop this madness of denigrating local players. Keshi won the 2013 nation’s cup with six home based players. I strongly believe we have a good number of goalkeepers playing locally, they are only waiting to be exposed OR do I say pay to be called to national team
We must stop this madness of denigrating local players. Keshi won the 2013 nation’s cup with six home based players. I strongly believe we have a good number of goalkeepers playing locally, they are only waiting to be exposed OR do I say pay to be called to national team
This is strange to believe that up till now . That eyimba goal keeper afolaky is still not considert good for national team , by the German
Mr. Rufai please leave Mr. Rohr alone. If you want super eagles job please go and apply. Allow Mr.Rohr to do his job. This German man has tried for us. There is nothing wrong for that young keeper to be Invited. This man is building a strong team for the future.
Super Eagles is in an urgent need of Competent Nigeria Citizen(s) as Goalkeeper. Period!
If the identified Nigerian keeper(s) in addition to being Competent is duly well Trained, Tested and Proven, BINGO!
if also in addition to these desired basic qualities, the identified Competent keeper(s) is/are Exposed(expirienced) to the best goal keeping arts/sciences in today's world EUREKA!
The Coach must be left to make his apt choice.
The German tactician is going a good job, if our previous coach located young prospect in Europe our level of football would have grown.... Now we are struggling to convert them with the nature of FIFA rules of naturalize them to the super eagle, if we can tell our self the truth in 2007 Alaba would have been our world best left back now how I wish we go n convince him earlier. Pls mr Rohr go for more young future star in Europe such as fikayo Tomori, chuba Akpom, Ademola Lookman, shehi Ojo, Tolaji Bala, Timothy Eyoma, Josh Onomah, Nemachi, Tosin Adarabioya etc let cup tie them down now for the future of our football, I will plead with our NFF chairman or those that is in charge to forget their Ego and try to convince them to pledge their aligencie to our beautiful country Nigeria, because they have the white man seance of football that will develop our game. Thanks Engr. Samuel Beloved.08033918018
Maduka's invitation is not a bad one, after all his a Nigerian... But the coach should also extend an invitation to theophilus Afelokhi is long overdue...presently there's no quality in our league.
Mr rufai we appreciate your effort at that time you where in super eagles but now face your business and leave coache rhor alone and also the keeper
Abeg tell these Cut-and-Nail damagers ruining our football development project since the past 3 or 4 years o. You know, I could walk my way into any second or third division club in Europe, wave my hand at Coach Rohr, who has a job with Nigeria but who virtually lives with his family in Europe, and pronto, I am selected to represent Nigeria even at FIFA World Cup finals! This is how low our football has descended.
98 percent of the present crop of the Super Eagles were selected that way, and our FA President is happy about this wait-and-get, through-the-backdoor style of administering Nigerian football!
The duty of developing the Nigerian Premier League to world class standards constitutes more than 50 percent of the FA President's/Coach's responsibility, and that duty has long been neglected.
What is surprising is, the Nigerian sports media, now our only one-eyed man in the land of Nigeria's football-blind administrators, so to speak, appears to be in full support of this negative trend which can only lead Nigeria's football fortunes down the gutter along with its infrastructure as well as its reputation.
They devote their attention to these mostly unknown Nigerians plying their wares abroad, while denying home based footballers the exposure required to boost their career. If the FA, for its selfish reasons, has feigned blindness, has the sports media, which is required to show the way, gone blind as well?
Under the ongoing system, Nigeria may trounce a footballing giant today only to lose heavily to minnows tomorrow, because the coach or FA really does not have the essential in-depth knowledge of the boys they are drafting into the team. They try to master this faulty approach by perpetually experimenting with new faces under a trial by error process, which is unable to produce the stable and well blended team Nigerians want. Such team will be retreating in panic before their advancing opponent and will lack a sense of purpose or urgency on the pitch; its attack formation will be tame on getting to the opponent's eighteen; players' passes/ball trapping technics and coordination will be faulty, while the team's goalkeeper will always lack confidence as a result of all or some of the above reasons.
If you ask me, I prefer the South African method, where the national coach is mandated to cultivate 95 per cent of his players from the local league while the FA provides the enabling environment that could engender overall good success. Once that system becomes established and is stable, it could produce a local/national football tradition, and a team that could be technically superior to any including Nigeria's under its prevailing circumstances. At that rate, the Bafana Bafana could become the Super Eagles' perennial nightmare in just one or two years, unless we stop and start rebuilding the right way. They (Bafana Bafana) are not yet there, yet they are giving the Super Eagles sleepless nights already.
Let's chart our way through the path that raised the early 1990s fearless, well rounded and strong Super Eagles which took the world by storm. The present system could only lead to heartbreaks. Somebody please spare Nigerian football and its fans the avoidable stress. Stop playing games with our football administration.