Former Nigeria international Austin Jay Jay Okocha gives his thoughts on the exclusion of Udinese Calcio shot-stopper Maduka Okoye from the Super Eagles 2023 AFCON squad npflupdates.com reports.
Okocha as a CAF ambassador for the 2023 Africa Cup Of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cote d’Ivoire arrived the West African nation yesterday.
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According to the former Bolton Wanderers skipper, it’s strange how Maduka Okoye wasn’t included in the Super Eagles AFCON squad.
Okoye was an integral part of the Super Eagles between 2020 and 2022, and was even the first choice goalkeeper at the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon. At the tournament in Cameroon, Okoye was the team’s favourite, until he made a costly mistake that led to Tunisia’s goal.
After the tournament, fans attacked the Germany-born professional across social media platforms. With majority of the fans calling for his exclusion from.ghe national team; a call which some football analysts believed had a toll on his career.
What Okocha said about Maduka Okoye and his Super Eagles predicament
Okocha is however, convinced that Okoye has the type of training and football upbringing needed in a goalkeeper.
“He is the one keeper that has the type of training and football upbringing that we need in a goalkeeper in the national team. But he is excluded. It’s strange,” the former Paris St-Germain midfielder told journalist Osasu Obayiuwana.
According to Okocha, “the way he was handled [after the Round of 16 game against Tunisia] talks about the quality of player management in the national team.”
Speaking further, the former Fenerbahce midfielder was quite reticent to say what he thinks about their Super Eagles chances at the 2023 tournament chances.
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Instead giving out his own opinion, he rather remained reticent, expressing he’s now an ordinary fan of the team just like every other Nigerian.
“I am now a fan of the team and will be watching like everyone else. Osasu, I don’t want to be drawn into talking about them,” he said.
