Alloy Agu reveals why NPFL clubs can’t produce goalkeepers for Super Eagles 

By Wale Mustapha

Former Nigeria captain, Alloy Agu has opened up on why the Nigeria’s top flight can’t nurture good goalkeepers for the country’s senior national team.

The West Africans have endured disappointing trends with unfortunate poor displays from various goalkeepers since the retirement of Vincent Enyeama and the former Super Eagles goalkeeper trainer has blamed it on NPFL club managements’ failure to give much relevance in engaging credible and experienced goalkeepers’ trainers.

Agu opined that the deficiencies in quality goalkeeper trainers has resulted to inability of NPFL clubs to produce talented goalkeepers as it was in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

The former Nasarawa United and Enyimba goalkeeper trainer however charged the management of various NPFL clubs to follow similar processes of appointing their head coaches while engaging their goalkeeper trainers

“The goalkeeping department is a very special department in football. I observed that most Nigeria clubs don’t take the goalkeeping department very serious,” Agu told Gaurdian Nigeria.

“They don’t hire top class goalkeeper trainers as they do in hiring quality coaches to manage their teams. This is one of the main reasons much quality keepers are not discovered these days for the Super Eagles.

“I can recall when I was hired to handle the goalkeeping department of Nasarawa United FC in the NPFL, the club management told me they had five goalkeepers. But they were not sure of using them. They told me I had the liberty to bring in two goalkeepers from any other club, but I refused bringing in new keepers to the team.

“I started working with the goalkeepers on ground, and discovered they were talented but lack poor coaching. The keepers were used throughout the season, and one of them even got invitation to the national team. So, quality coaching brings out talents.”