Super
Eagles Team B Goalkeeper, Dele Ajiboye, has said he has no regret over his
exclusion from the final 23-man list by Coach Gernot Rohr for World Cup in
Russia.
Ajiboye was among the players dropped from the Eagles after the international friendly match against DR Congo in Port Harcourt.
Ajiboye was among the players dropped from the Eagles after the international friendly match against DR Congo in Port Harcourt.
Speaking
with The Guardian at the presentation of cheque to the CHAN Eagles by the Lagos
State Sports Commission Chairman, Dr. Kweku Tandor, on behalf of Governor Akinwunmi
Ambode, Ajiboye said his time would come.
“I
did not believe that I would be in the camp in the first place. Right there,
everybody encouraged me. I tried my best to make the team during the trainings
but the coach has the final decision.
“After
all those in the team were there before me and I knew that it was never going
to be easy replacing them.
I
believe there will be another opportunity for me in the nearest future,” he
said.
On
his expectation of the team at the Mundial, the Plateau United goaltender said:
“I believe Eagles will do well at the World Cup and I want to tip Nigeria for
the semifinals because I believe we have the players that can do the country
proud based on what I saw in the camp.
“The
only thing I think may work against them is the issue of money, which I believe
have been settled before they left the country.”
He
stated that the only time he gets downcast was watching one of his
contemporaries at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup, De Gea keeps for Manchester
United of England.
“I
refused to watch any of Manchester United’s games because of De Gea. Watching
him reminds me of the U-17 World Cup where I was picked as the best
goalkeeper,” he stated.
On
the cheque presentation, Ajiboye thanked Ambode for fulfilling his promise,
saying that this will spur the players to greater height.
Representative
of the governor, Tandoh, said the money was in appreciation of the players good
run at the CHAN in Morocco, adding, “In line with governor disposition, he made
a pledge to the team and he released the money to the team through the sports
commission.
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