Werder Bremen manager Viktor Skrypnyk has defended Anthony Ujah after the Nigeria striker was criticised by fans of the North-West German Bundesliga side for missing a penalty in their 1-1 home draw against Cologne on Saturday.
Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn stopped Ujah’s 38th minute with the score at 1-0 to deny the out-of-favour Super Eagles forward a chance of scoring against his former employers.
Ujah’s teammates Clemens Fritz (captain) and Jannik Vestergaard echoed their manager’s sentiments, saying the forward should not be crucified for his failure to convert the penalty.
The 25-year-old joined Werder on a four-year deal from Cologne in the summer transfer market after the Green and Whites triggered his release clause.
Ujah attracted interest from Werder after the former Mainz 05 star earned plenty of rave reviews for scoring 10 goals to ensure Cologne’s Bundesliga survival last year.
The former Norway-based player, who has hit the back of the net seven times for the River Islanders who are battling to stay in the top flight, missed a chance to score his eighth Bundesliga goal in the encounter at Wesserstadion on Saturday.
Skrypnyk lamented his team’s missed opportunity to move up the table – clearly away from relegation zone in their final match before the winter break.
“The team decided on who takes the penalties. Whoever feels good will take them,” the 46-year-old Ukrainian was quoted as saying on the club’s official website.
“Clemens talked to Tony (Ujah) before the penalty and that’s what the captain is there for. In our situation, every missed opportunity to score a goal hurts of course. In the end the penalty was the turning point of the match.”
“We don’t blame Tony for anything, as it can happen all the time. He’s saved several games for us already and he’s the one who is most upset about it,” Fritz told the website.
Vestergaard praised the Cologne keeper for his performance in the encounter, saying he denied Werder a chance to grind out a crucial victory.
He said, “Obviously it’s frustrating that the ball didn’t end up in the net, but the keeper made a good save. We had enough other chances, which we should’ve capitalised on.”
Crestfallen Ujah said he was not happy he could not help the team pick up three points in the encounter.
“I feel bad for not converting the penalty. It’s very bad for me because I take these situations personally. But that’s football,” the former Warri Wolves star said.
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