Goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, who became Public Enemy No 1 when arch-rivals Ghana pipped Nigeria to a 2022 World Cup ticket three years ago, has again made his way back to the Super Eagles.
The Cyprus-based shot stopper owed his surprise recall after Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye insisted that he would rather stay put at his Italian Serie A club than be at the AFCON warming the bench as a second-choice goalkeeper.
This was what opened the door for the former Golden Eaglets goalkeeper to get on the train to a third AFCON.
Uzoho, 27, was also at last year’s AFCON, where his direct replacement, Stanley Nwabali, rose to prominence as the Super Eagles went all the way to the championship game against most expectations.
He is again the most experienced of the three goalkeepers with Tanzania-based Amas Obasogie the youngest of the trio.
He has won 35 caps since his debut in 2017 in a Super Eagles 4-2 win over Argentina in a friendly.
However, this season he has only made an appearance out of a possible 13 for his Cypriot club Omonia Nicosia to show he is the second-choice goalkeeper.
The Super Eagles goalkeeping department is again a talking point leading up to another AFCON as first-choice Nwabali is a major injury doubt, not to talk of his recent theatrics.
His coach at Chippa United spoke of the injury battles of the former Lobi Stars and Katsina United shot stopper and even cast doubts about the player recovering in time for this AFCON.
Therefore, Uzoho could well be the man between the sticks in the event Nwabali failed to be fully fit as it will be too much of a gamble to pick the less experienced Obasogie.
Coach Gernot Rohr made Uzoho the top-choice goalkeeper at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and so he played in all three first round games against Croatia, Greece and Argentina.
His experience in European competitions will equally standing him in good stead should he be the man to keep goal at Morocco 2025.
Could he be a cat with nine lives and make a successful comeback at a time when his immediate successor has been rather unstable?
