Super Eagles and Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has credited former Super Eagles manager Gernot Rohr for giving him a chance in international football with Nigeria.
He made his Super Eagles debut in October 2019 in a friendly against Brazil, coming on as a substitute for Francis Uzoho as Nigeria drew 1-1 with the South American giants.
The 24-year-old has since made 16 appearances for the Super Eagles, and was part of the squad for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon.
Appreciation for former Super Eagles boss Rohr
Okoye expressed his gratitude to Gernot Rohr for giving him the opportunity to play for Nigeria at the age of 19, rather than waiting for a call from Germany.
“Yes, it has always been Nigeria for me, a childhood dream to play for the Super Eagles,” the Dusseldorf-born goalkeeper told Tribal Football.
“Lutz Pfannenstiel, Fortuna Düsseldorf’s former Managing Director of Sport, played a big part in that. He was in good contact with Nigeria’s former coach Gernot Rohr; he opened that door for me.
“With Rohr, I had a fantastic coach in my early years as a Super Eagle. I'll be forever grateful for the opportunities he gave me at that time.” he added
He has since played for Sparta Rotterdam, Watford, and currently Udinese in Serie A, where he has cemented his spot as the first-choice goalkeeper.
Okoye has had a tumultuous time with the Super Eagles since their Round of 16 exit at the hands of Tunisia at the AFCON 2022.
He has not appeared on the pitch for Nigeria since then and missed the last AFCON in Ivory Coast, although he was part of the last call up for the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin
