Maduka Okoye: Super Eagles Star Credits Former Coach After Dumping Germany for Nigeria
- Maduka Okoye has claimed it was his dream all along to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria
- Okoye was born and raised in Germany but represents Nigeria after making his debut in 2019
- The Udinese goalkeeper has opened up on how former head coach Gernot Rohr helped him
Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has claimed it was his dream all along to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria and named one man who helped him fulfil the dream.
Okoye had been in the national team's plans since 2017, but circumstances did not let his debut happen until 2019 when he played in a friendly match against Brazil.
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He has not been with the team again since the end of AFCON 2021 when he took some time off due to criticism from Nigerians following the country's elimination from the tournament.
Okoye admits Super Eagles was a dream
The 24-year-old was born in Dusseldorf, Germany, to an Igbo father and a German mother but never represented the country of his birth at any youth level.
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Franco-German manager Rohr invited him to the Super Eagles and gave him his debut, a move the shot-stopper has described as a dream in his football career.
“Yes, it has always been Nigeria for me, a childhood dream playing for the Super Eagles,” he said in an interview with Tribal Football.
“Yes, Lutz played a big part in that... he was in good contact with Nigeria's former coach, Gernot Rohr; he opened that door for me. With Rohr, I had a fantastic coach in my early years as a Super Eagle.
“I'll be forever grateful for the opportunities he gave me in that time!” he added.
Lutz Pfannenstiel was the sporting director at Fortuna Düsseldorf between 2018 and 2020 when Okoye made his Super Eagles debut. He has played 16 times for the country.
He left Dusseldorf in 2020 and joined Sparta Rotterdam. After one season, he moved again and joined Watford. He had limited time and spent the season on loan at Rotterdam.
In August 2023, he completed a permanent switch to Italian Serie A club Udinese and signed a four-year contract, as noted in the official statement. In the second half of the season, he became the team's first-choice goalie and helped them avoid relegation.
Nigerians advise Finidi on goalkeeper choice
LEGIT.ng reported that Nigerians advised Finidi George on his goalkeeper choice during the last international window, during which Nigeria played two World Cup qualifier games.
The former boss was advised to stick with AFCON star Stanley Nwabali ahead of Okoye, who returned to the Eagles after nearly two years away.
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Source: Legit.ng
