Maduka Okoye remains part of Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles plans — but the Udinese goalkeeper will have to win back his place the hard way. Speaking in Uyo before Nigeria’s crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania, Chelle finally explained why he left the 27-year-old out of his 24-man squad. His message was blunt: selection is decided by what players do “on the pitch and around the pitch”.
What Chelle actually said about Maduka Okoye
“Maduka Okoye is still part of the national team, but I made my choice,” Chelle told journalists at his pre-match press conference. “The national team is not closed to him or to other players.”
He added: “My choice was based on what you do on the pitch and around the pitch. You need to have a good position in the group. How do you feel in the group? How do you feel when you’re in that group? Everything on and around the pitch matters.”
“After that, I had my tactical thinking, and I made the best choice for the team.”
The quotes, first reported by Foot Africa and carried by Complete Sports and Legit.ng, are the clearest explanation yet of an omission that has divided Nigerian fans since the squad was named on 7 November.
The September lateness that cost Okoye
The “around the pitch” part points squarely at September. Okoye reported to camp in Uyo on the morning of the Madagascar qualifier on 25 September — after preparations had begun — following Udinese’s third-kit presentation at Milan Fashion Week. He was also pictured at a Milan nightclub with American rapper Cardi B.
Chelle had granted permission for the club engagement, but made no secret of his displeasure at the late arrival. Okoye sat on the bench for the 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau four days later, and his body language suggested the coach was unhappy.
It was not a one-off: Okoye was also among the last to report in June 2024, before the World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin, and spent more than two years out of the national team picture between 2022 and 2024 before fighting his way back.
Udinese struggles have not helped his case
Form has not helped. Udinese are rooted to the bottom of Serie A after eight defeats in nine league matches, including a 5-2 thrashing at Roma on 31 October and a 2-1 home defeat to Venezia on 6 November, in which fellow Nigerian Akor Adams got the better of him.
Chelle instead picked Stanley Nwabali, Francis Uzoho and Arthur Okonkwo as his three goalkeepers for the Tanzania double-header, with Nwabali expected to start tonight in Uyo.
The pecking order is now clear. Nwabali started both of September’s qualifiers — the 2-1 win over Madagascar and the 3-0 defeat in Guinea-Bissau — and has held the gloves ever since, while Uzoho offers experience and Okonkwo, the Arsenal academy product, is the coming force. Maduka Okoye’s route back runs through Udinese: if he can help drag the club off the bottom of Serie A, Chelle’s “on the pitch” test starts to work in his favour again.
For Okoye, the message is clear: the door is open, but it will not open itself. He must rebuild trust with Chelle — on the pitch at Udinese and around it — to be part of the Super Eagles’ road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Tonight, though, the focus is Tanzania. Nigeria sit second in Group L on three points, one behind Guinea-Bissau after Madagascar’s 1-1 draw on Thursday, and Chelle has told his players to take all six points from the double-header. For more on the qualifiers, check today’s predictions.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC0) — collage by SportsBuddy
