NIGERIAN football fans have cheekily called on the Nigeria Football Federation to invite Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie to the Super Eagles.
The 22-year-old Nnadozie was in superb form again yesterday as she helped Paris FC to qualify for the UEFA Women’s Champions League group stages.
She saved a penalty and kept a clean sheet as the French club defeated the much more accomplished Wolfsburg 2-0 in Germany to progress 5-3 on aggregate.
Wolfsburg are one of the biggest women’s football teams in Europe having previously won the Champions League twice and reached the final four times, including last season.
Nnadozie’s heroics in the Champions League (she also saved two penalties in the previous round to eliminate Arsenal) have led to light-hearted calls for her to replace struggling goalkeepers Francis Uzoho and Maduka Okoye in the Super Eagles after costly errors from both men in the last few fixtures.
“FIFA no fit change law make Chiamaka Nnadozie come over to Super Eagles ni abi make we reason them for it jare,” Olayinka Elebute, a sports content creator, wrote on X (previously known as Twitter) today.
“Make them make the thing for us jare so the ‘apere’ (‘basket’ apparently referring to Uzoho’s ‘leaking’ in two friendly matches against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique) go know how far … ungrateful soul breaking our heart telling us it’s not easy.”
Another Nigerian with the user name Arsenal Jury on X wrote: “Unpopular Opinion: Chiamaka Nnadozie in this Super Eagles team will do better than Uzoho and Okoye.”
Blessing Andrew, who works with a radio station in Port Harcourt, added her voice, listing a number of male goalkeepers Nnadozie could do better than.
“In recent years, the Nigerian Super Eagles have fielded over five goalkeepers, yet we can’t find a solid Number 1,” she wrote.
“Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi, Dele Alampasu, Uzoho, Dele Ajiboye, Maduka Okoye and Adebayo Adeleye in goal.
“Maybe we should beg Chiamaka Nnadozie to come and help us out.”
A user on X, simply identified as Adaoha, believes no goalkeeper in the world is currently as good as Nnadozie.
“Chiamaka Nnadozie of Nigeria is the best goalkeeper in world right now.
We’re proud of you,” the person wrote.
Juliet Bawuah, a journalist from Nigeria’s bitter rivals Ghana, also joined in, writing with a love emoji included:
“Cleared Arsenal. Cleared Wolfsburg. Chiamaka Nnadozie is no HYPE. Congrats, safe hands.”
Nnadozie has been consistently solid for club and country in her young career, and she was one of the best goalkeepers at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
She captained the nine-time African champions and keet three clean sheets in four matches as the Super Falcons reached the round of 16 and lost only on penalties to eventual finalists England.
