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Austin Jay-Jay Okocha has weighed in on the current debate surrounding the goalkeeping situation of the Nigerian men’s national team.
Former Super Eagles captain Austin Jay-Jay Okocha has said that Udinese star Maduka Okoye is still Nigeria’s most talented goalkeeper despite his lack of game time in Nigeria’s squad.
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08:10 - 31.12.2023
Maduka Okoye: Udinese coach lauds Super Eagles reject after deserved Bologna start
Nigeria Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye started his first match in the Serie A for Udinese against Bologna.
Okoye's exile from Nigeria
Okoye has not played for Nigeria since he was blamed for Nigeria’s exit from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
The former Sparta Rotterdam was in goal for all of Nigeria’s matches in the competition but was partly at fault for the lone goal the Super Eagles conceded in the defeat to Tunisia in the round of 16.
Okoye failed to deal with a long-range effort from Youssef Msakni properly, with the Carthage Eagles progressing to the quarter-final courtesy of that goal.
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Following the match Okoye came in for harsh criticism from critics and Nigerian fans, with many blaming him for Nigeria’s exit.
Since then, the 24-year-old has not played for Nigeria and is not in the current squad for the 2023 AFCON.
Okocha defends Okoye
However, Okocha has jumped to the defence of the shot-stopper, hitting out at the country’s technical crew for not managing the situation better.
The former Bolton Wanderers captain believes Okoye is still Nigeria’s most talented goalkeeper and should have been kept in the squad despite his mistake against Tunisia two years ago.
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Okocha revealed this in an interview with Osasu Obayiuwana on their trip to Ivory Coast ahead of the AFCON opener on Saturday.
“The way he has been treated since #AFCON2021, after that fateful Tunisia game, leading to his exclusion from the Eagles, is a mistake. “He is the one keeper that has the type of training and football upbringing that we need in a goalkeeper in the national team. But he is excluded. It’s strange,” Okocha said.
Since Okoye’s exile from the national team, Francis Uzoho has stepped in, but the Omonia Nicosia man has failed to convince, making errors after errors.
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It now remains to be seen if Okoye will be reintegrated back into the squad after the AFCON.
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Okoye is not in Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations squad, but he appears to be the winner after making his league debut in Udinese’s win over Bologna.
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