The Portuguese tactician could face elimination if he fails to fly the former African champion at next year’s continental championships
Molooka Swallows goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi has admitted that he is keen to return to the Super Eagles and reclaim the team’s number one glove, reports Soccernet.ng.
Akpeyi has played 18 international matches for the national team, but has not been part of the Super Eagles squad since Jose Peceiro in May 2022.
In Akpeyi’s absence, none of Nigeria’s goalkeepers Francis Uzoho, Maduka Okoye and Adeleye Adebayo were able to make an impression between the posts.
With the African Cup of Nations starting in Ivory Coast in a few weeks, Peseiro is in the midst of a search for a new number one goalkeeper.
While the former Sporting Lisbon manager insists he is happy with Uzoho, Akpeyi revealed he is still waiting for a chance to return to the national team.
When asked in an interview if he could be the answer to Nigeria’s goalkeeping crisis, Akpeyi said: Today is better than yesterday. Just waiting for the opportunity. ”
The Super Eagles have had a disappointing start to their 2026 World Cup qualifiers, missing out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and suffering 1-1 draws in two games against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
Rwanda and South Africa are ahead of Nigeria in Group C, with only one country qualifying from each group.
Nevertheless, Akpeyi is confident that the Super Eagles will return to their peak after a false start, citing the example of Argentina, which lost to Saudi Arabia in the opening match but became world champions on the final day. continues to do so.
“In Qatar, Argentina did not do well from the beginning,” Akpeyi pointed out. “But in the end they won (the World Cup).
“Football has changed. No team is an underdog. Everyone grows every year. I have to say that we need to understand this aspect of the game at the moment. It’s not because all the players play in Europe and we expect to exclude everyone.
“You don’t have to score 3 points in the hotel room. You have to score 3 points on the field. And that’s exactly what we failed at. But the trainers are already trying to fix where I think you have made it clear whether it is necessary or not.”
Akpeyi, 37, started four of Nigeria’s six matches at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Super Eagles won the bronze medal.
