Dele Aiyenugba Set To Take Over From Carl Ikeme

Former Super Eagles first choice goalkeeper Dele Aiyenugba could be in line for a shock recall to the senior national team of Nigeria.

Dele Aiyenugba Set To Take Over From Carl Ikeme

Present first choice Carl Ikeme might be forced into a premature retirement as he has been diagnosed to be having acute Leukaemia, which has further exposed the goalkeeper crisis rocking the national team.

Coach Gernot Rohr used Daniel Akpeyi in the absence of Ikeme, but the Chippa United man failed to impress in the Eagles last game against South Africa which ended 0-2 in favour of Bafana Bafana in Uyo in the AFCON 2019 Qualifiers.

Unsatisfied with Akpeyi’s display in the game, the coach is looking for experienced shot stopper ahead of Nigeria’s World Cup 2018 qualifiers back to back game against Cameroon in August and September, as he believes Dele Alampasu isn’t ready yet for a game of that magnitude.

Although the coach is in regular contact with erstwhile goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, he won’t be pushing him for a return as he has long left the door open for Enyeama to communicate to him when he is ready to return to the team.

If Enyeama fails to contact Rohr, the coach will switch to Aiyenugba who kept 33 games last season for Hapoel Ashkelon in the Israeli top division, following his move from Bnei Yehuda where he has been since 2009.

33 year-old Aiyenugba last kept goal for Nigeria in 2011 against Guinea, a game Nigeria drew 2-2 , hence missed out on the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.