Super Eagles goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho, has hit out at the suggestion that he alone should not be blamed for Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
In the two-legged playoff, Nigeria were held to a 0-0 draw in Accra, before a 1-1 draw in Abuja handed the Black Stars the World Cup ticket on the away goals rule.
A key moment came in the second leg when Uzoho’s error allowed a tame Thomas Partey shot through, a goal that ultimately cost Nigeria dearly despite William Troost-Ekong’s equalizing penalty.
Uzoho stresses collective responsibility for Super Eagles' World Cup miss
Reflecting on the incident, Francis Uzoho explained that, as football is a team effort, he should not bear full responsibility for Nigeria’s failure.
“I can’t take that responsibility alone,” Uzoho told Eagles Tracker. “I had a good game in Ghana, but when we came to Abuja, it didn’t go the way we wanted.
“Trust me, I wouldn’t let that ball pass me out of fear, it just happened.”
Uzoho went on to stress that the onus was on the rest of the team to make up for his shortcoming, a responsibility they failed to live up to. “Football is teamwork. When my team failed, I kept the score 0-0 in Ghana. When they came to Abuja, it was their turn to bail me out, and they did score a goal.
“If we had scored two goals, it would have been a different story.”
The 25-year-old at the moment lost his spot in the Super Eagles following a succession of other high-profile errors, and has been notably absent from the Nigeria squad in recent times.
