AFCON: Okala calls for calm over Ejide’s injury

Category: Sports Published on Wednesday, 16 January 2013 06:00

Former Green Eagles goalkeeper, Emmanuel Okala, yesterday said that there was no cause for alarm over the injury sustained by the Super Eagles goalkeeper Austin Ejide.

Ejide sustained a hamstring injury during the team’s international friendly match against Cape Verde Islands in Faro, Portugal on Jan. 9.

Okala, in an interview in Awka cautioned sports analysts to be mindful of how they discussed the issue, to avoid distracting the team’s coaches.

The 1980 Nations Cup-winning goalkeeper with the Green Eagles said that it was only the coaches, led by Stephen Keshi that could tell the real situation of the player.

Okala said the three goalkeepers in the team were the best in the country for now, adding that Ejide’s unfortunate injury had not impacted negatively on the team.

“Ejide’s injury is unfortunate but he has not been ruled out of the tournament and there are two other goalkeepers in the team, so they can hold the fort until he recovers.

“People should stop nursing unnecessary fears or causing distractions over the issue; let us not try to rank or rate the players when we are not with the team.

“The coaches are in the best position to tell what the situation in camp is and they have not complained of any cause to change the formation,” Okala said.

He, however, attributed the alarm to ignorance about the quality of the players in camp, especially Chigozie Agbim, who, he said, had been “doing wonderfully well with Rangers International FC of Enugu.

“Agbim has been doing well in Rangers recently, he is an excellent goalkeeper; he is in great form.

“I am telling you what I know about very well, coaches are realists, they work with the best available at any given time,” he added.