Lokosa’s Brann miss: example of football management gone awry

Junior Lokosa is supposedly the next big thing from the Nigeria Professional Football League [NPFL] but the 19-goal striker, who almost made it to Russia 2018, is currently jet hopping in search for a foreign contract.

In a search that took him on trial to Denmark, the striker failed tellingly to impress the manager of SK Brann enough to get a contract. The manager said he needs a striker that will make an immediate difference,National Daily gathered.

Juxtapose that scenario with the transfer of South African international, Percy Tau, who just joined Brighton and Hove Albion from Mamelodi Sundowns for about $4 million.

Both players are strikers but while Tau, who scored 18 league goals over the last two seasons was sold for $4 million to a club in the English Premier League; Danish club, SK Brann, rejected Lokosa, who they were going to buy for just $300,000!

Tau played two full seasons in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League [PSL] and is a confirmed Bafana Bafana player with 12 caps and five goals while Lokosa with 23 goals in 34 appearances for Kano Pillars and boasts just one cap for the Super Eagles.

To put it in greater perspective, Anthony Okpotu, the NPFL’s highest scorer for last season also embarked on a failed junket to Denmark in April to try his luck with Brondby but he was also not signed. Okpotu scored 19 goals for Lobi Stars last season.