Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai has cited the lack of a competitive environment in transition as the reason why the team have recently struggled in the goalkeeping department.

Rufai explained that there were generations of good goalkeepers before he joined the senior national team and the transition helped not only him, but the next generation of goalkeepers who took over after he left the position in the team.

The Super Eagles have not been able to parade a trusted goalkeeper to man the posts after the departure of former LOSC Lille goalkeeper and African icon Vincent Enyeama.

Francis Uzoho has been the main man saddled with the role but his high profile errors have led to clamors for him to be dropped from the team.

“Somehow, something has fallen apart, and that has been the transition concept, where every goalkeeper brought in the national team will not just be brought into the national team without going through seeing his predecessors for example before he/she took over,” Rufai said.

“Before I took over, I saw goalkeepers like Emmanuel Okala in goal, I saw Best Ogedengbe in goal, I saw quite a number of them in goal. I could watch their character, how they fought for the number 1 jersey even if I was not close to winning a jersey for myself, not physical fighting, but mental fighting was going on to take the number 1 jersey.”

“I was also opportuned to see the same coaches that trained them. So the coaches that trained them, trained me, that is the transition I’m talking about. Before Okala left and Best Ogedengbe left and the likes of them, I had seen them, I had trained with them, I have seen their coaches, their coaches had trained with me. That is the transition.”

“If a goalkeeper is in this environment, nothing outside would interest him more than winning the jersey. He will imbibe that concept as he would see it as the only way to grab the jersey.”