Sports

Aghahowa Blames Super Eagles Keeper Okoye For Defeat Against Tunisia

Former Nigerian striker Julius Aghahowa has pointed the finger of blame to Super Eagles goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye for the team’s 1-0 loss against Tunisia in the round of 16 of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon in Sunday.

The game was won up just 63 seconds into the second-half when Youssef Msakni was given all the time and space he could ask for as he took aim from 25 yards.

His bouncing, dipping shot caught Okoye off guard and his weak parry was unable to prevent the ball from nestling in the corner of the net.

Reacting to the defeat, Aghahowa, who was one of Nigeria’s stars of the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations which Nigeria and Ghana co-hosted, was guest analysis on AIT AFCON Coverage, said that he was disappointed with Okoye’s poor judgement of the ball.

“Okoye should have saved that ball because he saw the ball coming towards his direction,” the former Shakhtar Donetsk striker said.

“I am really disappointed and feel he should have done better. This was a game we don’t deserve to lose at all. But it has happened and we have to accept our fate.”

The team will reunite in March for the 2022 FIFA World Cup playoffs fixtures with Ghana which will produce one of Africa’s five representatives at the 2002 World Cup in Qatar.

Izuchukwu Okosi

Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc. In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio. He worked there for 13 years until October 2017. Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch. He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations. Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line. Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.