Super Eagles suffer blow as Maduka Okoye ruled out of Jordan friendly

Nigeria’s preparations for their final match of the international break have been disrupted after Maduka Okoye was ruled out of the friendly against Jordan due to a thigh injury.

The Super Eagles goalkeeper sustained the knock during a training session in camp, forcing him to withdraw from Tuesday’s clash in Antalya, Turkey.

The development is a setback for head coach Eric Chelle, who had been keen to assess Okoye’s form following his impressive performances at club level with Udinese.

The shot-stopper has been working his way back into prominence in the national team setup, and the injury denies him another opportunity to stake a claim for the number one shirt.

With Okoye unavailable, attention now shifts to Nigeria’s backup options, including Francis Uzoho, who is likely to step in.

Coach Eric Chelle, who has been using the Antalya friendlies to experiment with his squad, now faces another selection headache.

The Nigerian boss had already been dealing with injuries to key players and was hoping for a full squad to assess tactical combinations ahead of future competitions.

Despite the setback, the Super Eagles remain confident heading into the clash against Jordan, having secured a 2-1 victory over Iran in their previous outing.