Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has expressed his desire to rejoin the Super Eagles and fight for the number one spot.
Okoye was left out of the final team by Jose Peseiro; hence, he was unable to accompany Nigeria to the 2023 AFCON final in Cote d’Ivoire.
The Udinese goalkeeper has not been a member of the Super Ragles team since their 2021 AFCON Round of 16 match against Tunisia.
In that match, Okoye committed a critical mistake that led to Nigeria’s elimination from the competition.
The Udinese shot stopper failed to save Youssef Msakni’s long-range strike two minutes into the second half as the Carthage Eagles advanced to the quarter-finals of the tournament at the expense of Nigeria, who were considered favourites going into the match
During a recent interview with the official Udinese website, the goalkeeper discussed how challenging it was to watch the 2022 AFCON from home.
Maduka Okoye speaks on rejoining Super Eagles
“I am very well now. I feel 100 percent. The national team is an important thing for me and I want to return as soon as possible,”
“It was hard watching the Africa Cup of Nations from home, but this is football.”, he said, as reported by daily post
Meanwhile, Okoye faces tough competition from Stanley Nwabali, who impressed during the AFCON tournament in Ivory Coast.
If he is called up, he will have to contend with Nwabali to earn the Super Eagles number one position.
