Goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim has pleaded with Nigerian fans
to forgive his floppy display in the first two games of the African Nations
Championship so far, assuring that he will be better in subsequent encounters.
A sober Agbim, who spoke at the team’s Garden Court De
Waal hotel abode in Cape Town said he was the most disappointed individual at
the display and assured that if given the chance to continue as the number one
goalie of the national team he will make up for past mistakes.
“No goalkeeper in the world will be happy to concede
cheap goals and for a keeper of my caliber I am most disappointed than anyone
else but that is football and I can’t dwell in the past. I have to forget and
plead with fans of the game to understand and forgive so that we can jointly
forge ahead. I promise that I will do better next time and it’s a promise I
wish to keep,” he said.
Head Coach of the team, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, defended
his captain for the flops, noting that the keeper may have limitations like all
goalkeepers in the world but the poor state of the Cape Town Stadium
contributed greatly to his performance. “It’s a team work and we cannot single
out one individual for blame, otherwise we had a situation in the game against
Mozambique when a player had an empty net and yet could not slot the ball in
until the opposing defender cleared it.
“I have worked with Agbim now for two years plus and if
he was not good he will not be here we must learn to understand our players and
forgive errors, especially as he is the last man in the defence and his own
errors are easily seen by all.”
Culled from Kickoffnigeria
