Maduka Okoye has opened up on his decision to reject invitation for the AFCON 2025, citing the need to focus on his club form.
Okoye, 26, explained that it was more beneficial to remain in Italy and continue rebuilding his confidence and consistency rather than play second choice in Morocco.
“Since I was not Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper, I believed it was better to remain at Udinese, work on my form, and also show appreciation to the club for standing by me during a difficult period,” Okoye said.
The Super Eagles secured third place with first choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, who featured in six matches at the tournament.
Earlier in the season, Okoye was suspended for betting related offences from August 18 to October 19, 2025.
Upon his return, the Nigerian goalkeeper was immediately reinstated as Udinese’s first choice.
He has since made 22 Serie A appearances for Udinese, recording 60 saves from 86 shots faced a 69.8% save percentage while conceding 26 goals and keeping six clean sheets.
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On the international stage, Okoye’s journey has been less straightforward.
He has earned 18 caps for Nigeria, but his last outing in a major competition was at AFCON 2021.
Over the weekend, the 26 year-old returned to action for Nigeria in a friendly match against Iran, where the Super Eagles secured a 2–1 victory.
Maduka Okoye will now be looking to strengthen his case for a starting role when Nigeria face Jordan on March 31.
