LATEST UPDATE: Bombshell
Today makes it exactly one week and six days to Coach Stephen Keshi’s April 22 deadline to submit his 35-man list to the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the big question on the lips of many Nigerians is, who makes the list?
On the domestic scene, a few players that excelled at the CHAN 2014 in South Africa are optimistic of making the list. But former national team goalkeeper, Segun Oguns, believes that the players’ chances of making the final list of 23 to the prestigious event beginning on June 12 in Brazil are relatively bleak.
Though, not many people could still remember Oguns as a goalkeeper. He was the one who caused controversies and made things difficult for Nigerian clubs when he reigned supreme for Dragons FC. Often mistaken as Peter Rufai’s brother, Oguns admits that he enjoyed the accolades he got from fans who likened his goalkeeping prowess to that of the legendary former Stationery Stores shot stopper.
Oguns’ lack of confidence in the home-based players’ World Cup chances stems from what he described as lack of indiscipline and commitment.
In this chat with Midweek Sports, he stresses that players in the domestic league would have to work assiduously to be able to make the list, given their unpalatable dispositions at their local clubs after returning from national duties.
“I expect to see players who excelled at the CHAN 2014 in South Africa in the list of 35, but I also have my fears for them because so many of them think they are now superstars and would not want to return to their teams to play. Some of them think they have become too big for the domestic league, forgetting that it is the same league that they were picked from. It’s a shame that league players who should ordinarily go back to their teams to help them prefer to stay away in hotels with women and girlfriends, frolicking endlessly, awaiting when they are called up again to the national team camp”, Oguns said matter of factly.
The former goaltender who made his mark playing for Dragons FC, Requinnes FC both of Benin Republic and FC 105 of Gabon further lamented that the effect of such attitude was manifested in Chigozie Agbim’s performance at the CHAN in where Nigeria finished in third place.
“Recall that when I was with Warri Wolves, I was responsible for signing the goalkeeper and I know he was good, but when he was called up to the national team, he became complacent and was not returning to play for his team any more. His biggest deficiency was inactivity and it shows that he had not been in regular action before CHAN. It took him a while before he got into the rhythm as the matches progressed.
Recently, I was in Akure and saw Solomon Kwambe. He was not ready to play for his side and I consider that as very unfortunate. When I played in the Nigerian league with BCC Lions of Gboko, Shooting Stars of Ibadan, Concord FC, Abiola Babes and others, it was fun to rush back to my team to play. The national team is a place where commitment and hard work are demonstrated and that can only be possible when you are active at your club side.”
Though, he was in Nigeria’s Olympic squad to the Seoul ’88 Games, Oguns was in and out of the Super Eagles between 1988 to 1996, but did not make it to the World Cup in 1994. Now a goalkeeper trainer, Oguns has worked with Nasarawa United, Sharks of Port Harcourt, Warri Wolves and Sunshine.
He believes that Nigeria is however blessed with goalkeepers, enthusing that Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide are doing well for their clubs.
“I don’t see us having problems in in the choice of our goalkeepers for the World Cup because both Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide are doing well at their clubs. However, the head coach and his technical crew would need to pick another goalkeeper that would complement them in injury circumstances. No team can rely on just two goalkeepers for the World Cup, but the third choice would be as good as the others.
Ogun also went down memory lane that in his heyday as a goalkeeper, he had a hectic time trying to equal the performances of Peter Rufai who was often referred to as his brother.
“Peter Rufai was above all of us then and whenever, I had the opportunity of being in goal, I often wanted to do better because he had set a standard that we all wanted to attain.
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