The Super Eagles legend believes the Kaizer Chiefs shot-stopper needs
regular playing time to maintain his fine form at club and national
level.
Former Nigeria captain Peter Rufai has backed Daniel Akpeyi to keep
growing when he plays regularly in the national team and in the
Premier Soccer League with Kaizer Chiefs.
Akpeyi returned to Gernot Rohr’s team this month for their 2021 Africa
Cup of Nationsqualifiers after missing their last two international
friendly games against Ukraineand Brazil.
The 33-year-old’s heroics in South Africa’s Telkom Knockout Cup earned
him a recall to the Super Eagles since their third-place finish at
2019 Afcon in Egypt.
Akpeyi returned to the starting XI in Nigeria’s 2-1 win over Benin and
Rufai, who led the country to the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, has
defended him from critics.
“In football, you can never say you have overgrown challenges that
confront people in your position,” the 56-year-old told Goal.
“You can be doing well as a striker, what about if they bring you
against the best defender in the world? You can be the best goalkeeper
in that season but if you have strikers like Drogba and Messi are
approaching your defence, it is a different situation.
“It depends on your era, like when a goalkeeper plays against a top
side and he does not perform very well, people will think he is not
good.
“Goalkeepers cannot overgrow their challenges, Akpeyi is still a
goalkeeper and he is doing well at the moment, training day in and out
to show his qualities. As long as he is playing, he will keep growing
and keep showing his qualities.”
Ahead of the Super Eagles’ second Group L game against Lesotho on
Sunday, the former Deportivo La Coruna goalkeeper said he expects a
difficult game between the three-time African champions and Lesotho,
who are ranked 138th in the world.
“I know we still have confidence from the win against Benin. I believe
when the going is like this for a team, they become formidable just
like the Super Eagles. They have a way of coming out from difficult
situations but people think football is the same as the past. All the
nations playing are candidates for qualification so no match is easy,”
he added.
Victory over the Crocodiles at the Setsoto Stadium will stretch
Nigeria’s tally in Group L to six points as they aim to feature in the
next biennial showpiece in Cameroon.
