Maduka Okoye has reportedly turned down romantic advances from the daughter of a Nigerian billionaire during his time in the Netherlands with Sparta Rotterdam.
The story was shared by Nigerian sports journalist Oma Akatugba, who recounted a visit to Okoye during his playing days in Europe between 2020 and 2022. According to him, Okoye showed him a message he had received from the billionaire’s daughter.
Akatugba said he encouraged the goalkeeper to consider the relationship, even describing the woman as a “big fish,” given her background. However, Okoye reportedly dismissed the idea, saying she was not his type.
The incident is said to have taken place before Okoye’s move to Italy, where he later joined Udinese after leaving Sparta Rotterdam.
Recalling the conversation, Akatugba said Okoye laughed off the suggestion and responded:
“Yeah, but she’s not really in my league beauty-wise.”
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.
