Francis Uzoho

Early career and Deportivo La Coruña

Born in Nwangele, Uzoho joined the Senegal branch of Aspire Academy in 2013, aged 14. Initially a forward, he became a goalkeeper after being deemed "too slow" at the age of 12. In 2016, after impressing at a tournament in Barcelona, he joined Deportivo de La Coruña's Juvenil squad. Age rules meant that Uzoho could only become available to sign a contract with Dépor in January 2017; shortly after signing his contract, he started to train with the first team. Promoted to the reserve team ahead of the 2017–18 season, he made his senior debut on 10 September by starting in a 3–0 Segunda División B home win against Real Madrid Castilla. Uzoho made his first team – and La Liga – debut on 15 October 2017, starting in a 0–0 away draw against SD Eibar. At the age of 18 years and 352 days, he became the youngest ever foreign goalkeeper to debut in La Liga, and the second-youngest player to appear in the league during the campaign at that point, only behind Real Madrid's Achraf Hakimi. On 24 August 2018, Uzoho renewed his contract for three seasons and immediately loaned him to Segunda División side Elche CF for one year. In February 2019 he moved on loan to Cypriot club Anorthosis Famagusta, in the search of more first-team football in the run up to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. After making his debut for the club, concerns were raised about his health certificate. As a result, Anorthosis Famagusta were deducted 9 points, which they…

Club

As of match played 11 March 2026

International

As of match played 31 March 2026

Francis Uzoho is known for his tall frame (1.96 m), good reflexes, and command of aerial balls. His size gives him an advantage in dealing with crosses and one-on-one situations. He is often praised for his composure under pressure and ability to make acrobatic saves, especially in close-range scenarios. While his shot-stopping is considered a strength, analysts have pointed out areas like distribution and decision-making under high pressing as aspects that have needed improvement over time. Despite competition from other Nigerian goalkeepers, Uzoho has retained a role in the national team setup due to his experience and athleticism.

Uzoho represented Nigeria under-17s at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Aged only 14, he was an immediate backup to Dele Alampasu. In October 2017, Uzoho received his first call-up to the Nigerian senior squad. He made his full international debut on 14 November, replacing Daniel Akpeyi in a 4–2 friendly win against Argentina. He was named in Nigeria's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. By that time he was considered Nigeria's first-choice goalkeeper. Uzoho started all three of his team's games at the tournament. He withdrew from the national squad in November 2018 due to injury. He was a squad member at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Uzoho was in goal for Nigeria in the 3rd place match against Tunisia, which they won. In October 2019 he suffered a ligament injury in a friendly match against Brazil, and underwent surgery in November 2019. Uzoho's injuries and recent performances had reduced him to a back-up role at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. In his only appearance in the competition, Uzoho kept a clean sheet against Guinea-Bissau in the group stage. His team would later be eliminated in the round of 16. On 29 March 2022, Uzoho was in goal for Nigeria in a World Cup qualifier against Ghana. He suffered criticism for his performance, as an error on his behalf led to a goal for Ghana, and ultimately cost his team entry to the World Cup. He tendered an apology, mentioning "I wanted to take my nation to Qatar but rather did the opposite". National teammates…