Super Eagles goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme, will avoid watching the Africa Cup of Nations this month but Nigeria’s loss was Wolverhampton Wanderers’ gain as the 30-year-old’s brilliance kept the Championship side in the FA Cup.
The Nigerian, distraught his country failed to qualify for Gabon 2017, produced four ‘world-class’ saves to douse Stoke City’s comeback attempts in the rip-roaring Midlands derby.
Goals from Helder Costa, as Wolves dominated the first half, and Matt Doherty, after Ikeme had repelled Marko Arnautovic, Ibi Afellay, Joe Allen and Peter Crouch inside 15 second-half minutes, saw Stoke lose a third-round tie for the first time since 2009.
But the former Leicester City shot-stopper is yet to come to terms with the Super Eagles’ shock absence from the biennial tourney.
“We didn’t qualify this year which was a big disappointment. I’ll try and avoid watching the Cup of Nations, because we’re not there. Our focus is on the World Cup now,” he said.
“It’s always nice to keep a clean sheet and make some saves. We were under pressure at the end but the lads were brilliant from start to finish.”
This was Wolves’ first win in the FA Cup in nine games stretching back six years and manager, Paul Lambert, can’t believe his luck.
“Thank god they never qualified!” the Wolves manager quipped.
“He’d have been away. Carl Ikeme is a big presence for the club, a big character, and some of his saves today were outstanding.”
The 31st edition of AFCON will hold between January 14 and February 5.
