World Cup 2018: 5 of the youngest players going to Russia

Paris Saint Germain v Olympique Lyonnais - Ligue 1 — French star Kylian Mbappe is one of the youngest players at the 2018 World Cup

#4 Francis Uzoho (19 years and 220 days)

England v Nigeria -International Friendly — Franics Uzoho is one of the three goalkeepers in Nigeris's squad

The fourth youngest player in this year's World Cup is Nigeria's Francis Uzoho. The young goalkeeper plies his trade for Spanish La Liga side Deportivo de La Coruna and even made two appearances in the league this season.

Francis, as he is called in Spain, made his debut for Nigeria's senior team against Argentina on the 14th of November 2017 and has made three appearances since.

The teenager stood between the sticks for the Super Eagles in the friendly match against England this past Saturday, which saw his team lose 2-1.

The Nigerian fans seem to be confident on starting the youngster ahead of their other two experienced goalkeepers.

It’s safe to say that Francis Uzoho is Nigeria’s number one goalkeeper at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
— Bolarinwa Olajide (@iambolar) June 1, 2018

Expand Tweet

About the author

Dakir is a European and Indian football journalist at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 10 years. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication, and currently pursuing Master’s in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University, he is a seasoned football journalist who has interviewed the likes of former Liverpool star John Arne Riise, covered the entire 2022-23 Indian Super League season of the Kerala Blasters, and has delivered a seminar at an international conference held by St. Albert's College, Ernakulam.

Thanks to his extensive academic background in journalism, Dakir understands the importance of accuracy and spends a significant amount of time researching the subject. In today’s data-driven world of football, where players are perceived as machines, he prides himself amplify the voices of the people that make football the beautiful game that it is.

He started following football in 2013, and more specifically, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, and admires Jurgen Klopp for his untouched charisma and unmatched legacy. A perpetual underdog supporter, he is a fan of under-fire Reds forward Darwin Nunez and can’t wait for him to show the world what he truly is. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s iconic “corner taken quickly” corner assist for Divock Origi in Liverpool’s 4-0 UCL semifinal win over Barcelona left a lasting impact on him.

When not writing, Dakir enjoys indulging in his guilty pleasure - watching mass commercial movies.

Know More

Edited by Anthony Akatugba Jr.