Goalkeeper Chijioke Ejiogu is the number one goal for the winners of the CAF Champions League double – Enyimba football club from Aba. He is one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the Nigerian Premier League. His prowess between the goalpost while playing for amateur team Arugo FC in the late 1990s during FA Cup competition earned him the nickname Arugo Monkey.

Monkeys are one of the most acrobatic animals in the jungle and have the ability to jump from one tree to another with great ease and skill. These were the exact qualities that Chijioke Ejiogu displayed during FA Cup competition over 15 years ago while playing for Arugo FC.

He was quickly signed by Julius Berger FC of Lagos on the heels of his FA Cup exploits, and he helped the Bridge Boys reach the CAF Confederation Cup final. His agility behind the post was soon noticed by the Enyimba FC management and he soon put pen to paper for the Elephant Towns in the 2008-2009 season.

The confidence he shows in organizing his line of defense is amazing, considering the fact that football has become so competitive and tactical. One of the qualities that distinguishes a good goalkeeper from a bad one is the ability to anticipate and tackle aerial balls and that is one of Chijioke Ejiogu’s strengths.

He has been invited to the senior national team on several occasions during Coach Christian Chukwu’s reign as Head Coach of the Super Eagles, but each time, luck has not been on his side. The desire to improve in the local league to promote future calls has always been his main motivation, and that has made him emerge as one of the stars of the Enyimba Football club, full of stars.

Arugo Monkey has become something of a veteran in the Nigerian Premier League and with each passing season, he has shown more maturity and better composition between the posts to the admiration of his fans across the country. His acrobatic saves and daring maneuvers in front of forwards have earned him a place among the best players in the local league.

The next few years are expected to see a turnaround in the fortunes of this charismatic goalkeeper who has paid his dues in the Nigerian Premier League for the past 10 years. His chances of donning the green, white and green colors of the Super Eagles have been made much easier with the appointment of an indigenous Head Coach to the senior national team in the person of Head Coach Samson Siasia in December 2010.