Akpeyi our keeper?

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr is coy on whether he will select Chippa United goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi for the African Nations Cup qualifier against South Africa at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.

With regular number one Francis Uzoho out with an injury‚ Rohr said it was a straight decision between Akpeyi and Ikechukwu Ezenwa, who ironically is the third choice at his Nigerian club Enyimba.

Akpeyi was in goal when Bafana Bafana beat Nigeria 2-0 in Uyo last year‚ but Ezenwa has featured more prominently in the absence of Uzoho in recent times.

“There’s competition between Ezenwa and Daniel Akpeyi. The advantage of Akpeyi is that he knows South Africa‚ he knows very well their players. It will be a home game for him‚” Rohr told reporters.

“The advantage of Ezenwa is that he is in the group already. He played three matches in the World Cup qualifiers‚ decisive matches against Cameroon. He did very well and also in Algeria.

“We will see with the goalkeeper coaches what will be done. At the moment‚ the two are able to play.”

The third keeper in the squad‚ Theophilus Afelokhai‚ who is Ezenwa’s senior at Enyimba‚ has been training separately from the main group of players this week and looks unlikely to feature.

The 32-year-old Akpeyi is in his fourth season with Chippa‚ where he has been a regular since his arrival.