Maduka Okoye has lifted the lid on his journey with the Super Eagles, admitting he never quite hit the mark in the green and white, Footynaija.com reports.
The Udinese goalkeeper made a long-awaited return to Nigeria’s starting line-up in Friday’s 1–1 draw with Russia, his first start since the painful 2021 Africa Cup of Nations exit at the hands of Tunisia.
That tie left scars. Okoye’s costly mistake in Garoua triggered a wave of backlash and pushed him to step away from the team. Despite that, the 24-year-old went back to the grind in Italy, regaining his sharpness with Udinese and forcing his way back into the national team under new coach Eric Chelle.
With Stanley Nwabali unavailable due to his mother’s funeral, the door opened for Okoye in Moscow. It was a testy affair, but for Okoye, it was a shot at redemption.
And he was honest about where it all went wrong.
“Of course, we know what Nwabali has done for our country. He’s a very good goalkeeper and I think he deserves it because I never got to the level I have with the Super Eagles,” Okoye said.
“I never brought my quality to the game, unfortunately. I haven’t reached that point yet. I pray and hope to achieve the same level of success with the national team as I have at club level because I think there’s nothing greater than defending the goal of a country, especially a country like Nigeria.”
The comments, revealed by The Whistler, show a player owning his past. And with Nwabali now Nigeria’s number one following his breakout at the 2023 AFCON, Okoye knows he’s in a real battle.
“So, I really hope that I get to my level and he deserves to play right now, but I think there are always going to be some chances and opportunities, and I just have to be ready when they’re coming.”
Friday’s friendly was more than a fitness run. It was physical and tactically sharp, yet Okoye came through it with a few takeaways of his own.
“The Russian team showed a very high level. We had to give it our all to play on equal terms with them. I think it was a great match for the fans,” he said.
“The balls were a little easier than usual. But overall, everything was fine. I really liked the atmosphere at the stadium.”