‘I was watching from home’ - Maduka Okoye reflect on Super Eagles' AFCON disappointment

The Udinese shot-stopper, who has been a part of the national team setup since 2019, shared his thoughts on the team's struggles. 

Nigeria entered the 2025 AFCON as strong contenders but were eliminated in the semi-finals by hosts Morocco in a penalty shootout, ultimately finishing in third place.

Okoye was not in the squad for the tournament, having withdrawn himself, with Stanley Nwabali stepping up as the first-choice keeper. 

Watching from the sidelines did little to ease the sting of defeat. “I was watching from home as a supporter, like all the other 200–300 million Nigerians,” Okoye told SportyTV. 

“We deserved to win the Cup, but next year is already the next opportunity for us, and we will do everything to bring it home again.”

The AFCON disappointment was compounded by the even greater setback of failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. For a footballing nation of Nigeria's stature, missing the global tournament was a significant blow.

Okoye acknowledged that the players are still trying to understand what went wrong. “National team football is a different kind of football,” he said. 

“I don’t really know, because we have the quality, we have great players, top-level players, and top characters in the team. Hopefully, we get it done next time.”

With 18 caps to his name, Okoye is set to remain a key figure in Nigeria's goalkeeping ranks as the Super Eagles aim to move past their recent struggles and build for the future.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles goalkeeper Okoye has revealed why choosing Nigeria over Germany was never a difficult decision.