Super Eagles should turn to local league for new goalkeepers, says Ike Shorunmu

Ike Shorunmu, a former Nigerian national team goalkeeper, has claimed that the solution to the Super Eagles' goalkeeping problems is in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Shorunmu was appointed as the goalkeepers' trainer for the new dispensation by the Nigerian Football Federation earlier in April. Alongside former winger George Finidi, they were both appointed to join Salisu Yusuf, who will take charge of the team until a new manager is decided upon.

Shorunmu was speaking to local media when he made these claims. The former Super Eagles number 1 noted that in the past, Nigeria’s goalkeepers came from the NPFL. They were some of the best in Africa at the time as well.

Shorunmu also asked that the team's handlers pay more attention to the NPFL while calling on the home-based goalkeepers to step up in their various leagues and prove their worth on the rare occasion they get called to tryouts with the national team.

He said: “If great goalkeepers like Vincent Enyeama, Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu, Wilfred Agbonavbare and others can be discovered from the domestic scene before moving to clubs in Europe, I see no reason why such situation cannot be replicated now.

“I believe talents abound in Nigeria, all we need to do is to come together to discover the talents, expose and nurture them to quality players.

“Going overseas to get goalkeepers for the Eagles is not the best if we consider the past achievements of goalkeepers discovered in Nigeria.

“However, the home-based players can only assert their authority in the national team if they work hard and prove that they deserve to get national team invitation.”

Shorunmu also echoed the voices of many other Nigerian football legends who called for more investment in the NPFL in order to make Nigerians see the value of their home league.