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Maduka Okoye, goalkeeper for Italian side Udinese, has expressed his happiness at being called up again by the national team.
The goalkeeper was included in Finidi George's 23-man team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin.
Since he received an invitation to play in international friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique in October of last year, Okoye has not been called up for national team duty.
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10:17 - 27.05.2024
Maduka Okoye: President of Serie A club laments bitter relegation after heroics from recalled Super Eagles goalkeeper
Maduka Okoye ensured Udinese will feature in the Serie A for another season with a stunning performance on the final day.
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07:17 - 27.05.2024
Naija Stars Abroad: Maduka Okoye justifies Finidi George's call, forgotten Super Eagles star dims red-hot Ademola Lookman, Osimhen
It was a beautiful weekend for Naija Stars Abroad led by Maduka Okoye, recalled by Finidi George to the Super Eagles, and the in-form Ademola Lookman.
The 24-year-old's return is a result of his fantastic season with Udinese, where his outstanding goalkeeping efforts have helped the team maintain its Serie A position.
Maduka Okoye on National team call-up
Maduka spoke to the press following Udinese's narrow victory over Frosinone yesterday and expressed his joy at being back in the Super Eagles lineup.
Throughout the season, he maintained five clean sheets and appeared in 22 games across all competitions, which is the most since the 2021–2022 campaign.
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According to Udinese's official website, Okoye said, “I am very happy to return to the national team. It is a great honour for me and my family to play for Nigeria. But in the meantime, Alé Udin!”
Okoye hasn't played for the three-time African champions since making a mistake in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 match against Tunisia.
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles star also spoke about helping his team stay in the Serie A top-flight.
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He continued, “For the city, for the team. Playing in Serie A is very important for the city and the club. I'm happy, I'm feeling a lot of emotions right now,"
“It was important for us to give a nice permanence, wasn't it to father Gianpaolo Pozzo. It's important for me, I can still work on many things.
“I have a great coach, I will definitely improve further in the future. " Other happy news is the call-up of him with his Nigeria.
Considering that Stanley Nwabali is back, it is unclear if George will be prepared to put his trust in him for any of the upcoming games.
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