Sparta Rotterdam of Holland may end up getting his third straight start for the Super Eagles in this Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone, as the only shot-stopper ahead of him on the Eagles’ list of invitees, Daniel Akpeyi arrived the national team’s camp late, megasportsarena.com reports.
While Okoye and FC Lugano of Switzerland netminder, Sebastian Osigwe were among the early arrivals at the Eagles’ camp in Benin City on Monday, and were joined by uninvited Ikechukwu Ezenwa the following days, Akpeyi faced flight hitches at his base in South Africa.
Reports out of the Eagles’ camp indicated that the Kaizer Chiefs shot-stopper was one of a handful of Eagles’ players that faced travel delays in heading home for this weekend’s match against Sierra Leone, as the former Heartland of Owerri and Warri Wolves of Delta State star was still in South Africa as at Tuesday.
While Eagles’ coach, Gernot Rohr set the team’s training programme into motion on Tuesday, Akpeyi was not expected to arrive camp in Benin City until Wednesday, thereby giving a fresh bolt of concern to the 34-year-old, who will now have to edge aside thrice-capped Okoye and uncapped Osigwe for a starting shirt in Friday’s game.
Incidentally, Akpeyi, who is the most experienced of the three keepers named in the squad list and has kept clean sheets in two appearances for Kaizer Chiefs this season, while conceding five goals in total, who not called up for the Eagles’ friendlies with Algeria and Tunisia due to concerns about his fitness.
