Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has articulated his ambition to reclaim the Super Eagles' first-choice goalkeeper position, currently held by Stanley Nwabali.
Formerly the first-choice goalkeeper, the 25-year-old has been in and out of the fold ever since his error that saw Tunisia reach the quarter-finals of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at the expense of Nigeria.
That incident earned Okoye the ire of his countrymen, expressed in the form of abuse and even death threats on social media. It is an episode that he, quite understandably, struggled to get past, imposing on himself an exile that saw him skip several assignments.
Since his return to the national team in May, Okoye has only made it as far as the bench, finding it difficult to displace Nwabali who claimed the position while Okoye was away following a very impressive 2024 AFCON outing.
Okoye focused on training to usurp Nwabali
With a recent surge in performances for his Italian club, Okoye is aiming to prove himself as Nigeria's top choice.
In a recent interview with Football Temple, as reported by Brila, Okoye acknowledged the challenge posed by Nwabali's recent performances but expressed his commitment to enhancing his skills and seizing every opportunity to regain the Super Eagles' No. 1 goalkeeper position.
“Of course, this is what I want, but I understand that Stanley set a high bar, especially with his performances at AFCON. I’m patiently waiting, focusing on training, and doing my best to impress the coaches,” he said.
His last appearance for the Super Eagles came in a low-profile friendly against the Algeria ‘B’ national team in September 2022.
Since his debut in 2019 in a friendly against Brazil, the former Watford goalkeeper has represented Nigeria on 16 occasions.
