Thomas stakes claim at Rivers Utd
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The goalkeeping department of Rivers United is probably the strongest in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Okey Iweanya, the goalkeeper trainer of the club works on a daily basis with four goalkeepers of very high quality – Sunday Rotimi, Robert Cole, Abiodun Akande and Femi Thomas.
The competition for a starting shirt is so stiff among this quartet that even training sessions are approached with the intensity of a Cup final.
“As a former goalkeeper myself, I must commend these four men for the amount of work they put in everyday in training,” Iweanya told supersport.com.
“It’s a shame that only one can play at a time because it is always almost impossible to choose one from the four of them.
“But then, it is a good thing for Rivers United in the end because I think
we have the best goal keepers in the league.”
The duo of Cole and Akande have yet to make the matchday squad in any of United’s first four NPFL matches this term with the coaches seemingly preferring to go with the more experienced heads at this stage of the season.
Rotimi started the club’s first three league matches against El Kanemi Warriors, Akwa United and Niger Tornadoes.
He conceded twice in those games and kept a clean sheet in one (versus Niger Tornadoes on matchday three).
On matchday four, when Rivers United made the trip to Nnewi to face FC IfeanyiUbah, Thomas got his chance.
He was thrown into the deep end at the fortress and with few giving him a chance to keep a clean sheet in his very first competitive start for his new club, the former Enyimba man covered himself in glory with an exemplary performance nearing perfection.
In a showing of real quality, Thomas kept the Anambra Warriors at bay with numerous saves right out of the top drawer as United held out for a share of the spoils.
The best of his saves was recorded in the fifth minute of added time – the last kick of the game – the final throw of the dice from the hosts desperate to snatch a late winner from the jaws of a seemingly futile expedition.
LAST LINE OF DEFENCE
United had conceded a free-kick from 20 odd yards and Valentine Nwabili, the FCIU left-back famed for his ability to hit a pin head with venom from ridiculous distances positioned himself behind the ball.
Hearts of United fans seemed to sink in unison as the wall formed behind the uncompromising stalwart.
Nwabili did not disappoint. He took the set piece with frightening force, hammering past the United wall expertly and with the ball flying into the top right hand corner, Thomas produced a gravity-defying save to push the ball away from danger before it was cleared away by one of his relieved defenders.
The final whistle went seconds later and his teammates understandably mobbed him as they celebrated a hard-fought point.
Thomas, in his usual unassuming manner, refused to take the credit for the point, insisting instead that it was ‘down to team effort’.
“They said I am the man of the match? Well, I will rather say the team deserves that accolade.
“What we did (on Wednesday) was down to team effort and everyone should be congratulated,” he said.
HEALTHY COMPETITION
Thomas is the first to admit that he has to train and play at a consistently high level to force his way into the United first-team on a regular basis.
He admits the competition is stiff but says he gets along with his fellow goalkeepers quite well.
“Rotimi is the oldest and most experienced amongst us and we all respect him.
“I also get along very well with Cole and Akande. We act like a band of brothers.
“My objective is to win trophies with Rivers United and my new teammates have already seen me raise my level from where it was last season.
“We will continue to work hard to see that we do well in the Federation Cup, the NPFL and the Caf Champions League,” he said.
Rivers United are in action on matchday five of the NPFL on Sunday against Lobi Stars at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt.
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