Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has explained why goalkeeper Maduka Okoye is yet to join the team’s camp ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Madagascar.
Okoye is the only player among the 24-man squad invited by Chelle for the matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau who is yet to report for duty.
Chelle Defends Okoye
The Udinese goalkeeper’s absence had sparked speculation ahead of Friday’s encounter, but Chelle has clarified that Okoye was granted permission to remain with his club.
Read Also:2027 AFCONQ: I Want My Players To Be Aggressive, Play With Intensity Against Madagascar — Chelle
“His club asked me to allow him to take care of some club-related activities, and I agreed. Now, I have to manage the situation,” Chelle told journalists at a press conference in Uyo on Thursday.
With Okoye unavailable, Chelle is expected to choose between Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali and Charlton Athletic’s Arthur Okonkwo to start against Madagascar.
The Super Eagles will face Corentin Martins’ side at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday, with kick-off scheduled for 5pm Nigeria time.
By Adeboye Amosu
5 Comments
Okoye is not a footballer Nigeria should build on Arthur’s past performance for SE which was a perfect clean sheet. Okoye is distracted with a lot of controversy and nasty stuffs that doesn’t make him a proper No1 for Nigeria.
Okoye just need to face football 100% and later he can start doing all other stuffs
After all football retirement max max 40 years
I could remembered while he was at Dusseldorf a very talented goalie, then that debut appearance for the super eagle did him a whole lots of goodies bcos few months later he joined a first division team in the Netherlands
plain and simple, he wants assurance to be fielded. What club activities in FIFA break. My take he should not be invited to the national team again. we should look for another goalie. I rather have a floundering goal keeper than one that gives conditions to honour national call-ups
Yeah, he seems to want assurance that he’ll play before he honors SE invitations. He usually comes early when Nwabali is not invited. What he doesn’t realize is that some fans are even rating Arthur Okonkwo ahead of him (and who knows, maybe Chelle too thinks the same).
Does Okoye demand his place in the pecking order for goalkeepers at Udinese, or fight for it??
Like Osaretin and Kel mentioned if that is what he wants and wishes for, then he might be getting ready to retire from the national team
Bcos no sane coach will welcome such attitude
Not trying to talk down on Okoye even the first time he was invited by Rohr he was completely a rookie which was quite understandable at the time not even a starter for Dusseldorf bundesliga 2, he only feature in DFB pokal matches
By then not even a short clip of him on YouTube or anywhere i could recall a friend asking me which kind keeper Rohr invite so
Not even a clip of him keeping anywhere
Again that debut for Nigeria against Brazil helped Okoye rise faster…..