Maduka Okoye, the goalkeeper for Udinese, has thought back on his 2021 AFCON error, which caused the Super Eagles to be eliminated from the competition in Cameroon, and he has acknowledged that he should have performed better, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
The goalkeeper has been absent from the national team for more than two years since Tunisia defeated Nigeria 1-0 in the AFCON semifinal in Cameroon. Coach Finidi George called him back for the two 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic.
Even though Stanley Nwabali, the new fan favorite, was given the shirt by Okoye in both games, the 24-year-old seemed to be at ease with his return to the national team.
According to Oma Sports TV, Okoye stated, “Not just when I look back, even at this moment, I knew I had to do better and it pains me today to be honest.”
“I’m not just talking about what I heard or read on social media; I’m talking about the feeling of letting your teammates, family, and country down. It was hard for me to go through that as a young boy.” Okoye has been linked to a move to Inter Milan since turning around his career with a consistent performance for Udinese in the Serie A. He aspires to maintain his steady improvement.
“It was an error, and we’ve discussed Inter Milan. I need to perform better in these kinds of circumstances if I want to be at Inter Milan.” And I’ve been doing this for the past several years; I’ve gotten better, I’ve worked hard in the gym, and I don’t want that to happen again.
In his 20 Serie A appearances this season, he has achieved four clean sheets and has been recognized with several Man of the Match and Udinese Player of the Month honors.
