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A Chance After Francis Uzoho’s Mistakes

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Another horrendous error from the youngster is a sign that Gernot Rohr needs to assess more goalkeepers, and the Lobi Stars man tops the list
Francis Uzoho might have 13 senior international caps to his name, but each passing fixture he is involved in raises seemingly more doubts about his credibility as the Super Eagles’ number one.
A final Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Seychelles, ranked 189th in the world, on Friday should have been a game that the Deportivo La Coruna loanee would keep a clean sheet in with ease.
However, he made a mess with his handling from a free kick, failing to gather the ball, and duly gifted the Pirates only their third goal of the qualifiers.
Gernot Rohr’s men might have won 3-1 on the afternoon in Asaba to ensure they finish top of Group E, but it was not the most convincing of performances, and Uzoho’s moment of carelessness was among the key talking points of the game.
It’s becoming all too common for Uzoho to be in the spotlight for the wrong reasons from his errors rather than for strong performances, as had been the case with his predecessors Vincent Enyeama and Carl Ikeme.
Indeed, in the 3-2 away victory against Libya which put the Super Eagles in driving seat for qualification, Uzoho put in a terrible display with his clumsy handling again allowing the Mediterranean Knights to claw their way back from two goals down before an improved Odion Ighalo saved the day nine minutes from time.
It is thus clear that Uzoho is not yet ready to be the man between the sticks for Nigeria.
His inability to find a permanent club, specifically a competitive outfit in a top-tier league, has really not helped his development. He might be at Anorthosis Famagusta which is a big club in Cyprus, but they rarely compete against more established sides, last participating in the Europa League in 2012 and only getting as far as the third qualifying round.
Since stand-ins Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Daniel Akpeyi do not have the faith of Rohr or the Nigerians fans, and so the Franco-German tactician needs to assess more goalkeeping options.
Rohr has, however, defended Uzoho, asserting that he is still remains the number one.
“Mistakes are mistakes and they are what they are and can be committed by anybody,” Rohr told journalists after the game in Asaba.
“Uzoho is our number one goalkeeper, and it is unlike him to make such an error. I know his worth and won’t rush to condemn him over this error.”
The 65-year old clearly has faith in Uzoho for now, but if the Aspire Academy graduate still makes the same mistakes, there’ll be need for serious consideration. After all, Rohr continued to use Elderson Echiejile and Ogenyi Onazi despite their below-par showings until he had no choice but to axe them from the team. 
One man that deserves such consideration is Olufemi Kayode.
His stock continues to rise rapidly in the Nigeria Professional Football League, earning rave reviews among fans. He’s a man brimming with confidence, and he’s subsequently churned, out impressive performances on a consistent basis.
He kept 10 clean sheets for Lobi Stars last year and though it was a joint record with Femi Thomas of Enugu Rangers and Kano Pillars’ David Obiazor, Lobi topping the standings until the league’s premature end meant Kayode won the most plaudits of the trio.
The Pride of Benue finished a disappointing third in Group A in the ongoing Caf Champions League, but Kayode was without doubt their standout player, as he made series of top drawer saves against Wydad Casablanca, Mamelodi Sundowns and ASEC Mimosas, ensuring that they didn’t inflict more damage on Stars.
Kayode could be considered as ‘Nigeria’s David de Gea’ because he’s well composed, handles the ball well, and knows when to react without making clumsy errors like Uzoho does.
It might be the wrong timing for a change of goalkeeper as the Afcon is just three months away and there is only a small window available to play warm-up friendlies before the tournament proper begin.
However, with Uzoho not showing enough confidence, Rohr might need to take a gamble on testing Kayode.
His level of consistency on the local and continental scene is definitely a plus and should be enough motivation for him to excel.
Rohr has been heavily criticised for not involving NPFL players in the national team, and pointed out othrwise to the press in Asaba.
“Since I’m here, for two years and a half, I have invited more than 22 local players and most of them are now abroad,” Rohr told journalists.
While he explained that factors such as playing on artificial turf and the league’s indefinite hiatus have been responisble for NPFL talents not seeing more gamtime with the national side, these aren’t proving to be issues for in-form Kayode.
If there’s anyone from the division who deserves a shot, its the Stars’ stopper. Considering Uzoho’s troubles, Nigeria may need him sooner rather than later.

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Inter Best Juventus To Maintain Serie  A Lead

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Andrea Cambiaso scored at both ends during the first half of Saturday’s Derby d’Italia, before Pierre Kalulu’s red card forced Juventus to play the entire second half a man light.

Substitute Francesco Pio Esposito got Inter back in front with a bullet header, then Manuel Locatelli’s pinpoint finish looked to have salvaged a point for the Bianconeri, before Zielinski struck on the cusp of stoppage time.

Juventus made the brighter start, but they were masters of their own downfall in the 17th minute, when Cambiaso deflected Luis Henrique’s cross beyond Michele Di Gregorio.

Cambiaso atoned within nine minutes, catching Henrique on his heels when Weston McKennie’s cross squirmed through to the back post and applying a side-footed finish.

But after Bremer cleared Zielinski’s dinked effort off the line, Juve’s hopes were damaged when Kalulu received his second yellow card for a 42nd-minute pull on Alessandro Bastoni, though the Inter centre-back appeared to go down theatrically.

Di Gregorio made a remarkable stop to thwart Hakan Calhanoglu, but as Juventus dropped ever deeper, they were punished when substitute Esposito guided Federico Dimarco’s searching cross into the far corner with 76 minutes on the clock.

It looked like Inter would have to settle for a point when Locatelli whipped a wonderful finish into the bottom-left corner in the 83rd minute, but Zielinski had the final say as his 20-yard drive fizzed through Locatelli’s legs and beat Di Gregorio.

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Szoboszlai’s Real Madrid Dream Sparks Concern At Liverpool 

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A cloud of uncertainty has settled over Liverpool after comments from Hungary head coach Marco Rossi reignited speculation about Dominik Szoboszlai and Real Madrid.

Rossi, who has worked closely with Szoboszlai since his teenage years, revealed that the midfielder’s lifelong ambition is to play for the Spanish giants.

“Because of the very close and direct relationship I’ve had with Dominik since he was a child, Real Madrid has always been his dream,” Rossi said.

For a Liverpool side building around Szoboszlai as a centerpiece of Arne Slot’s project, those words landed hard.

Within hours of Rossi’s remarks, Szoboszlai interacted on social media with two Real Madrid players, applauding posts from Vinicius Junior and Trent Alexander-Arnold following Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad.

His reaction to Vinicius’ post drew particular attention. The exchange with Alexander-Arnold, his former Liverpool teammate, was seen as less surprising.

Still, in the hyper-connected world of elite soccer, even a digital thumbs-up can carry weight. On Merseyside, fans and pundits quickly began dissecting the meaning behind the interactions.

Szoboszlai, Hungary’s captain, has become one of Liverpool’s most influential players. That status is precisely why Rossi’s comments triggered such an intense reaction in England.

The midfielder had just delivered on the field as well, scoring in Liverpool’s 3-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.

After the match, Mohamed Salah heaped praise on his teammate, calling Szoboszlai “the best player in the world.” Slot struck a slightly more measured tone but echoed the sentiment.

“I think there are many elite players in the world, but I definitely agree with Mo that he is one of them,” Slot said. “He is very important for us.”

Szoboszlai is under contract at Liverpool through 2028. However, the club is reportedly eager to open extension talks in the coming months to secure his long-term future.

The player himself addressed the situation recently with notable candor.

“There’s nothing yet, to be honest. Nothing from now on. It’s not in my hands. That’s how it works,” he said. “There’s no progress, but if the right offer comes, we’ll see.”

He was equally clear about his affection for Liverpool.

“We’ll see what happens. Hopefully everyone will be happy in the end. Of course I want to stay. I like the city, I like the club, I like playing with these guys. I love Anfield, I love the fans. Let’s see what the future brings. It’s not my fault. I’d love to stay. We’ll see.”

 

Inter’s dramatic victory boosted their lead over rivals AC Milan to eight points, ahead of the Rossoneri hosting Como on Wednesday. Juventus, meanwhile, could drop out of the top four as Roma visited Napoli last night.

The last four Serie A matches between Inter and Juventus have produced a total of 21 goals (an average of 5.25 per game), compared to just nine in the previous six (1.5 per game).

Cambiaso became the first player in Derby d’Italia history to score and put through his own net in the same match between these old rivals, but it was Zielinski’s fifth Serie A goal of the season that proved decisive.

Inter will argue they were deserved victors after amassing 21 shots and 1.88 expected goals (xG), while Luciano Spalletti’s visitors mustered 10 shots and 0.92 xG – though the Bianconeri actually attempted six of their shots while down a man in the second half.

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Wolves Beat Man Utd Conquerors

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Premier League strugglers Wolves overcame resolute Grimsby Town in challenging conditions at Blundell Park to reach the FA Cup fifth round at the expense of the side that eliminated Manchester United in the last round.

Santiago Bueno scored from Wolves’ only shot on target with an hour played, diverting Joao Gomes’ cross past goalkeeper Jackson Smith with his thigh to end the League Two club’s resistance.

Unrelenting rainfall caused heavy ground underfoot and one penalty area in particular- that of Grimsby’s Smith in the first half – was already a quagmire before kick-off.

Charles Vernam shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box with just 43 seconds on the clock as Grimsby sought to catch their top-flight visitors cold.

Wolves had to wait until the 17th minute for their first opportunity of note, forward Tolu Arokodare firing over with a first-time attempt.

The white paint of the pitch markings soon blended and blurred with the mud as the surface rapidly deteriorated, and both sides struggled to stitch together cohesive attacks as passes travelled unpredictably across the sodden ground.

 

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