Maduka Okoye has revealed why he turned down an invitation to represent the Super Eagles at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, despite the team going on to secure a third-place finish.
In an interview with Kicker, the Udinese Calcio goalkeeper explained that concerns over fitness, form, and timing influenced his decision following a lengthy spell out of action.
Okoye disclosed that he had been sidelined for around two months due to a betting-related suspension and felt it was more beneficial to focus on regaining full match sharpness at club level.
“Since I was not Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper, I believed it was better to remain at Udinese, work on my form, and also show appreciation to the club for standing by me during a difficult period,” he said.
The 24-year-old also pointed to the scheduling of AFCON, noting that its timing within the European football calendar often forces players into difficult decisions between club and country commitments.
Okoye has since rejoined the national team ahead of upcoming international friendlies in Antalya, where Nigeria will face Iran national football team before taking on Jordan national football team.
Head coach Eric Chelle is expected to give Okoye playing time during the friendlies as part of preparations for future international competitions.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
