“I hope they go far” — Maduka Okoye reveals his World Cup African allegiance despite Super Eagles absence

Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has opened up about Nigeria’s painful absence from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, admitting the disappointment still lingers while throwing his support behind the African nations representing the continent on football’s biggest stage.

The Udinese shot-stopper made the comments during a recent interview with Ahlan Dubai while vacationing in the United Arab Emirates.

When the interviewer echoed the same sentiment of many Nigerians after missing out of the tournament for a second consecutive time, Okoye immediately acknowledged the frustration felt by millions of supporters back home.

The 26-year-old goalkeeper did not shy away from the disappointment surrounding Nigeria’s failure to qualify.

“We are very sorry," he said.

Nigeria’s absence remains one of the major talking points of the tournament for African football fans, with the three-time African champions missing out on a World Cup for the second consecutive cycle despite boasting one of the continent’s most talented squads.

Players such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi and Okoye himself have been forced to watch the tournament from afar rather than competing on the biggest stage in football.

Despite the heartbreak, Okoye says he has found another reason to stay invested in the competition.

Rather than supporting one specific nation, the Udinese star revealed that he is backing every African representative still flying the continent’s flag.

“There are still other African teams,” Okoye said, suggesting that the success of African nations benefits the continent as a whole.

“Now in the World Cup, I’m supporting all of the African teams.”

Several African sides have already captured global attention during the tournament.

Morocco continued their impressive rise with another strong World Cup performance against Scotland, while Senegal remain one of the continent’s leading hopes despite off-field controversy involving supporters.

Ivory Coast and Ghana secured victories in their opening match, while World Cup debutants Cape Verde stunned the football world by holding European champions Spain to a goalless draw.

DR Congo also stunned Portugal, holding the 2025 UEFA Nations League winners to a 1-1 draw in their opening group K fixture.

For Okoye, those achievements represent more than individual countries.

“They do represent us already in a good way and I hope they go far.”

While supporting Africa’s remaining teams, Okoye insists the focus inside the Super Eagles camp must now turn toward ensuring the same disappointment does not happen again.

The goalkeeper believes Nigeria must use the setback as motivation heading into the next qualification cycle.

“We hope that we as Nigeria will do everything to qualify for the next.”

The 2030 FIFA World Cup remains four years away, but many supporters already see it as a chance for redemption for a generation of Nigerian players widely considered too talented to miss consecutive tournaments.