Sparta Rotterdam coach, Henk Fraser has hailled Super Eagles goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye’s rising ‘mental strength and development’ playing for the Dutch Eredivisie side, Completesports.com reports.
Okoye put on an impressive performance at the weekend against Go Ahead Eagles, keeping another clean sheet as De Kasteelheren (The Castle Lords) won the game 1-0 at the Sparta Stadium to keep their hopes of surviving relegation threat alive.
Speaking during his post-match news conference, Fraser lauded Okoye for his overall performance so far this season.
Also Read: Black Stars Defender Djiku Makes Ligue 1 Team Of The Week
“He has it in him to be the very best because his foundation is very grounded,” Fraser told reporters.
“Over time you see his mental strength and development increase and it is helping him.
“He has done well this season enough to say he is in the debate of the best young keepers in Europe at the moment.”
Okoye has featured in 20 of the Sparta’s 24 Eredivisie games so far this term. He has conceded 29 goals and recorded 4 clean sheets.
Sparta are currently 17th in the 18-team Dutch Eredivisie, with two games in hand. Their next match is against home side, NEC, on Saturday March 19, 2022.
By Toju Sote
23 Comments
Okoye might be the reason we will make it to the world cup.. I see him surprising Nigerians soon
Okoye is indeed developing like we want. Good one. He needs more competition. More Nigerian goalkeepers have to be up and doing. Heaven bless Okoye and all deserving Super goalkeepers.
The competition might be difficult.. honestly we don’t have an active goalkeeper playing every week like okoye is doing at the moment.. expect we consider our Nigerian league .. even our goal keeper in South African league is regularly on the bench..
There is no better time to support and encourage okoye than now
Top marks brotherman. Before, I and I did not believe in Okoye. Now Babylon can see what the lad has to offer. No goalkeeper is perfect. If you take Okoye out of the mix, all other options are warming bench. Hence why I and I pray for all of dem.
But this your name sha, na wa o. Wetin be the meaning for una language?
Well, he really surprised us against Tunisia.
The Tunisia goal was a huge surprise.
We hope not to see that kind of surprise again.
What we need is positive surprise. Not the kind of surprise that raises blood pressure.
Sone countries would be ecstatic to hsve Okoye as their keeper.But not Nigeria We hate excellence!
The egg heads and strategic planners talk of “progressive growth.” Okoye is striving to achieve this.
A little comedic relief, starring my man David Alaba.
Alaba is shown here playfully beating up Camavinga in a Real Madrid training session.
Incredible to think this superstar could be a Nigeria player today.
Nigeria did not need to beg him, the way they’re begging Olise, Eze and others. He came to Nigeria. He was ready to play for Nigeria! He wanted to play for Nigeria.
No longer possible because of somebody’s BIG FAT EGUNJE-CLOGGED BELLY.
# NO MORE EGUNJE IN PLAYER SELECTION
# DAVID ALABA LAW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgrGXwImx6s
Okoye is healing, may be.
I personally have nothing against Okoye after all, we want the very best players for super eagles. My only problem with him is that Okoye is a flash in the pan, I mean a fluke. Just wait, tomorrow it will be reported he let 4 goals in. It is looking like Eguavoen might consider him between the sticks against the black stars, my advise is, Eguavoen should weigh other options because some on the bench could be better to the one that is letting goals in at will, that means he has no confidence. A recent scenario is the goal scored by Youssef Msakni of Tunisia in our R16 Afcon21 ouster. I am aware that the coach already know his starting 11 otherwise, I would be advising him on the keeper to use.
My brother when I was going thru the noise from some commenters on this platform, I wonder if it is not the basket okoye again. Anyway and just like you said, let’s wait for coach Eguavoen starting 11 if not, Akpeyi is the man.
Please Mr. Momodu if you have any advice concerning SE keeper say it, we can’t afford to lose to Ghana. Okoye is not it all.
Heard that CAF has told Ghana not to use the Cape Coast stadium for the crucial game against Nigeria due to the current poor state of the playing pitch, after the Ghana independence day celebration. Ghana were trying to move the match to Baba Yara stadium in Kumasi, but that falls outside the FIFA approved time for venue changes allowed within a country as the 1st leg match is barely 10 days away on March 25th. They also need Nigeria to agree to there request to play at Kumasi, which I reliably heard that Nigeria has refused to agree to, and the NFF as also applied to FIFA to have the 1st leg game moved to Benin Republic, as it is close to both Nigeria and Ghana and falls within FIFA’S allowed statutes as Benin has a good stadium in Cotonou with VAR facilities and a good playing surface. Kudos to the NFF for following up on the importance of playing both legs on good playing surfaces like what we have at the Moshood Abiola stadium in Abuja right now.
Where is Jimmyball, and ‘his no footballing Nation’crew.He never sees anything good in anyone.The sensible thing to do now Jimmy is to come out from ur hiding and also learn ur voice to the credibility of Okoye.
You that is a super football scout cannot see the talent in Okoye.But those that matter in Europe sees it.Jimmy go and check ur self ooo,something is definitely wrong.
What concerns @Jimmyball with the Okoye’s story? My brother, leave him alone this early morning. Let him be and let peace reign in this forum for once. The story is about Okoye and his gradual improvement slowing and steadily which we have been praying for..
It’s almost 2 months since we crashed out of the AFCON and I want to believe we should have learnt our lessons from the tourney. Maduka needs our moral support and prayers before the decisive World Cup Qualifier against Black Stars of Ghana.
Was it not on the 7th of last month that Maduka Okoye conceded four goals as Feyenoord defeated Sparta Rotterdam 4-0? This the more reason why I tend to support @Momodu’s position that we must not give in to sentiments. Okoye can be good but in his off days, he is a disaster that is to use the word correctly, imagine 4 goals under 90mins. Atleast there is Uzoho, there is Akpeyi even now that Adeleye will join the fray for the World Cup.
I wonder why people make reference to Okoye conceding 4goals. Had De Geal not done so this season, or which keeper doesn’t Concede? Which just don’t support our own.
A goal Keeper is as good as his defense, Okoye Club has the worse defense in the Netherlands, the reason they may survive the drop is Okoye. If you doubt the guy’s ability then it’s a pity. The same people calling for Akpeyi were the same once calling for his head when he conceded a free-kick goal.
Okoye remains a goalkeeper with a lot of potential no cap. Go watch his matches
See na. How do you compare a goal from free kick to 4 zero that Okoye conceded? You are beclouded with emotion and this is why some of us don’t join in the early comment section where you are always making noise instead of staying the fact. If not for sentiments or favouritism, Akpeyi is a better keeper to Uzoho and Okoye.
@ Anthony Joshua thank You. I watch him, week in, week out. He is a phenomenal, Cerezo should just be careful listening to some bias fans, Maduka has been a revelation, I followed him from Germany all the way to his club in Holland, all goals scored has been a weak Sparta team, and if they survive it’s in Okoye, disrespect him at your own peril, that’s David Alaba you lots coaches said he wasn’t good enough, Anthony Joshua the boxer came to Nigeria 2009 to beg to compete in the Olympics you lots in the federation declined him that he’s not good enough, now you hypocrites all hailing the poor man. In Maduka I trust, Cerezo should start seeing a Peter Rufia in Maduka Okoye, don’t listen to hear say, you went to England, also visit Holland and watch the lad. Fantastic. Goal against Tunisia don’t you all see it was Ndidi’s fault and Ola Aina. Please haters.
@Debo,go check ur records,it was last month that Okoye conceded 4 goals.But just upper weekend De Gea conceeded 4goals as well in the hands of Man City and also conceeded 2 goals in the hands of Toteham this last weekend.Making it an incredible 6goals in 2 matches.Meaning on present form Okoye is better than De Gea as former has conceeded 0goals in 2matches plus saving a penalty against Vitesse.
Tell me one great keeper on earth who has not conceeded goals upon goals in his career.The problem u people have is blaming every body for everything.Now u are mentioning Akpeyi,the same man u and ur notorious scout condemned of not showing confidence.Una never no una problem.You will soon call Buhari to come and keep for u.
The good thing is, the more u and Jimmyball condemn Okoye,the better he becomes.So keep willing .
What’s my business with De Gea. That’s means you have no response.
@Muri;
Okoye is still a very young lad and needs time to learn the ropes. Coach Eguavoen may have to explain to us why Akpeyi and Uzoho who are even better in terms of reflexes and agility are always overlooked. Now we have an important game on the 25th.
Concerning the match against Feyenood, yes that match was after the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations – where Nigeria crashed out in the Round of 16 due to an error. Orkun Kokcu put his side ahead after four minutes, with his shot beating Okoye. Few minutes later, Alireza Jahanbakhsh doubled the hosts’ advantage after he was set up by Luis Sinisterra. Then the remaining two goals making it 4:0 against Rotterdam. It was a frustrating evening as Okoye confessed. That is Okoye confessing by himself and now here is a World cup decider, a match I think mustn’t joke with. It is left to the coach to decide.