Super Eagles Goalkeeper Successfully Undergoes Surgery

Super Eagles goalkeeper Francis Uzoho has successfully undergone surgery to repair his injured left knee and is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Uzoho’s parent club Deportivo de La Coruña said the procedure happened “in a satisfactory manner” and was overseen by club traumatologist, Rafael Arriaza at HM Model Hospital in A Coruña on Thursday.

“Athlete goalkeeper Francis Uzoho was operated today Thursday, November 14 at the HM Model Hospital in A Coruña in a satisfactory manner,” the club said on its website.

He was on loan at Cyrus club Omonia Nicosia prior to picking up the injury but will now remain in Spain for the period of his recuperation.

He most likely would not recover in time to feature for Omonia Nicosia again this season with fan website omonoianews.com quoting the club as saying “it must be taken for granted that Uzoho will not play again this season”.

The 21-year-old sustained the injury when he landed awkwardly and twisted his knee while on international duty for Nigeria against Brazil in October.

The injury put paid to his bid of reclaiming his number one shirt from Daniel Akpeyi who was first choice at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

With Uzoho out injured, national team manager Gernot Rohr handed a recall to Daniel Akpeyi for Nigeria’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Squirrels of Benin and the Crocodiles of Lesotho.

The Super Eagles beat Benin 2-1 in Uyo on Wednesday with Akpeyi in goal and he is expected to reprise his role when Nigeria face Lesotho in Maseru on Sunday, 17 November.