Sports

Okoye Restates Commitment To Super Eagles After AFCON Snub

Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has expressed his desire to make a comeback to the Nigerian national team following the decision of head coach Jose Peseiro to drop him for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, Prime Business Africa reports.

Okoye, the younger brother to Nigeria’s afropop singing sensation, Peter and Paul Okoye, professionally known as ‘Psquare’ was widely blamed in 2021 by a section of Nigerian fans for the goal that Tunisia scored that ultimately eliminated the three-time African champions from that year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Since the incident, the Udinese goalkeeper who is making huge strides in the Italian Serie A, has made only one appearance for the Super Eagles but his recent great form has made him one not to be overlooked.

Okoye was recently awarded the Man-of-the-Match in Udinese’s 2-1 win over Juventus and pressure are reportedly being mounted on coach Jose Peseiro to recall him.

Okoye in an interview with the official website of Udinese restated his commitment to the Nigeria cause and admitted that it was hard to watch his international teammates play at the Africa Cup of Nations.

“I am very well now. I feel 100 percent. The national team is an important thing for me and I want to return as soon as possible,” Okoye said.

“It was hard watching the Africa Cup of Nations from home, but this is football,” Okoye told the Zebra’s website.

Izuchukwu Okosi

Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc. In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio. He worked there for 13 years until October 2017. Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch. He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations. Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line. Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.