Football
The goalkeeping
department of Rivers United FC is probably the strongest in the Nigeria
Professional Football League (NPFL).
Okey Iweanya, the
goalkeeper trainer of the club works on a daily basis with four goalkeepers of
very high quality – Sunday Rotimi, Robert Cole, Abiodun Akande and Femi
Thomoas.
The competition for
a starting shirt is so stiff among this quartet that even training sessions are
approached with the intensity of a Cup final.
“As a former
goalkeeper myself, I must commend these four young men for the amount of work
they put in everyday in training,” Iweanya told the club’s official website,
www.riversunitedfc.com.ng.
“It’s a shame that
only one can play at a time because it is always almost impossible to choose
one from the four of them.
“But then, it is a
good thing for Rivers United in the end because I think we have the best goal
keepers in the league and this kind of competition will only bring out the best
in them.”
The duo of Cole and
Akande have yet to make the match day squad in any of United’s first four NPFL
matches this term with the coaches seemingly preferring to go with the more
experienced heads at this stage of the season.
Rotimi started the
club’s first three league matches against El Kanemi Warriors, Akwa United and
Niger Tornadoes.
He conceded twice
in those games and kept a clean sheet in one (versus Niger Tornadoes on match
day three).
With Rotimi finally
keeping his first clean sheet of the season last Sunday, many expected the
Stanley Eguma-led technical crew of United to go with the same in their tricky
NPFL fixture away to FCIU three days later.
Eguma
had a surprise up his sleeves
On match day four,
when Rivers United made the trip to Nnewi to face FC Ifeanyiubah, Thomas got
his chance.
He was thrown into
the deep end at the fortress (FC Ifeanyiubah Stadium, Nnewi) and with few
giving him a chance to keep a clean sheet in his very first competitive start
of for his new club, the former Enyimba man covered himself in glory with an
exemplary performance nearing perfection.
In a display of
real quality, Thomas kept the Anambra Warriors at bay; producing numerous saves
right out of the top drawer as United held out for a share of the spoils.
The best of his
saves was recorded in the fifth minute of added time – the last kick of the
game – the final throw of the dice from the hosts, desperate to snatch a late
winner from the jaws of a seeming futile expedition.
Last
line of defence
United had conceded
a free kick from 20 odd yards and Valentine Nwabili, the FCIU left back famed
for his ability to hit a pin head with venom from ridiculous distances
positioned himself behind the ball.
The hearts of
Rivers United fans seemed to sink in unison as the wall formed behind the
uncompromising-looking stalwart.
Nwabili
did not disappoint.
He took the set
piece with frightening force, hammering past the United wall expertly and with
the ball flying into the top right hand corner, Thomas produced a gravity-defying
save to push the ball away from danger before it was cleared away by one of his
relieved defenders.
The final whistle
went seconds later and his teammates, understandably, mobbed him as they
celebrated a hard fought point.
Thomas, in his
usual unassuming manner, refused to take the credit for the point insisting
instead that it was ‘down to team effort’.
“They said I am the
man of the match? Well, I will rather say the team deserves that accolade.
“What we did (on
Wednesday) was down to team effort and everyone should be congratulated,” he
said.
Healthy
competition
Thomas is the first
to admit that he has to train and play at a consistently high level to force
his way into the Rivers United first team on a regular basis.
He admits the
competition is stiff but says he gets along with his teammates (fellow
goalkeepers) quite well.
“Rotimi is the
oldest and most experienced one amongst us and we all respect him.
“I also get along
very well with Cole and Akande. We act like a band of brothers.
“My objective
remains the same. I came to this club to win trophies and training on a daily
basis with my new teammates has already helped improved my level from where it
was last season.
“We will continue
to work hard to see that we do well in the Federation Cup, the NPFL and the Caf
Champions League,” he said.
Rivers United are
in action on match day five of the NPFL on Sunday against Lobi Stars at the
Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt.
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