Super Eagles goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho, has revealed the reason African Goalkeepers are not rated in Europe.
This was made known by the young Nigerian goalkeeper while speaking to Sports Zone crew on Lagos Talks 91.3 Fm on Thursday.
Uzoho said “It is very difficult for African goalkeepers to succeed in Europe. Outfield players have the advantage, but for a goalkeeper, this is a position for just one player throughout 90 minutes.”
“So most of the times some clubs will like to use an indigene to play in that position because in football there are rules for foreign players. So some clubs use that position to play their own indigenous players.”
Uzoho, 21, also added that because African goalkeepers haven’t been given a chance to play at the top level because most European clubs are sceptical of trusting younger generations of African goalkeepers.
“It is also difficult because right from time, not so many African goalkeepers have played to the top level. So the clubs have a little bit of fear, they are not so convinced about a black goalkeeper.”
“Even your teammates in the same club make fun of African goalkeeper. Those are the major problems goalkeepers from Africa face in Europe,” he said.
Uzoho is currently on loan at Cyprus club, AC Omonia from Spanish La Liga side Deportivo La Coruna.
Uzoho was part of the Golden Eaglets team that became victorious at the 2013 U-17 World Cup as second-choice goalkeeper behind Dele Alampasu.
He made his Super Eagles debut against Argentina in October 2017, when he came on to replace Daniel Akpeyi.
Uzoho was in action for Nigeria at the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia; he was also part of the Super Eagles team that won bronze at the 2019 African Nations Cup in Egypt.