How it Started
The invitation of Maduka Okoye to the Nigeria national team came with prospect and relief to the problem at the goal keeping department, a void that was left after the forceful retirement of Vincent Enyeama during Sunday Oliseh management in 2016
The Nigeria senior national team has struggled to fill that void even till this day. Various goal keepers have been invited, from the likes of Daniel Akpeyi, current Francis Uzoho and so on. Non has proven to be the Super Eagles main man at the goal.
Prior to the AFCON tournament in Cameroon, calls were made from the Nigerian fans to bring in better goalie for the tournament.
Okeye was brought to the limelight after he was having an impressive season with his loaned club.
Maduka was given a national call up by the technical team and by extension NFF to feature at the AFCON for Nigeria.
Handsome Okoye Met Hardsome Fans
At the tournament, the Super Eagles started with a comfortable victory over Mohammed Salah led Egypt team. The eagles were dominant in the game, out played the pharaohs.
This continue in their last two games in the group stage. The Super Eagles displayed a Barcelona kind of tiki taka football, with Joe Aribo doing the magical passes, while Ndidi doing the dirty works along side him at the Midfield. Moses Simon was the man on every fans lip, he was superb for the team.
All was going beautiful at the play, from defending to the offensives against the group stage teams.
But one department and individual was not seriously tested through out their group stage matches, the "goal keeper"
Tunisia vs Nigeria - Okoye's Moment
Nigeria was paired against formidable defensive Tunisia at the knock out stage.
Going to the game, the Tunisian side understood the strategies and tactics of the Super Eagles i.e Moses Simon flank strategy. This tactic worked absolutely well against the Super Eagles group stage rivals.
The Tunisian side formed a diamond (triangle) defense approach against Moses Simon who was the center piece of coach Eguavoun attack methods and policy. Nigeria first of all failed to dominate and out played the Tunisians as she did against fellow north African neighbor Egypt.
The locking of Moses Simon and failure by the Nigeria technical team to restrategize away from Simon indicated that it was not business as usual for the Super Eagles.
The First Shot
Okeye at 60s minutes at the post, when Troost Ekong blunder at the back with the ball, the Tunisians for the first time optimized that rear opportunity and tried an outside shot against the keeper. Okeye failed to stop his first ever shot against him in the goalie.
The Nigerian fans were ranged with fury against Maduka Okoye, with reports of threat to his life.
How it is Going
Okeye Turns Down Super Eagles Invitation
The future of Maduka Okoye in the Super Eagles will be revisited after the goalkeeper snubbed invitations to join the team for this month’s AFCON qualifiers.
Reports had initially suggested Okoye was injured and was undergoing treatment, but the GK also failed to speak to Super Eagles Goalkeeper trainer, Ike Shorounmu.
Reporting on the 22 year-old’s situation in future National team matches, Shorunmu told FL that efforts will be made to ‘bring his mind down’.
‘Before we left for the US tour, I tried to reach him because I had learnt he was injured. But I couldn’t get him,’ the Super Eagles Goalkeeper trainer disclosed.
‘Secretary of the team also tried to contact him via message (text), I also did a second time, but we learnt he was trying to sort out club matters because he recently concluded his transfer.
‘But, it’s everything is ok about the future, we’ll reach out to him again to calm his mind.’
Shorunmu did however praise Francis Uzoho, who deputized in the absence of the NT first choice GK.
‘In both games we played in Africa, he showed a lot of improvement. He made important saves and one in particular against Sierra Leone.’
The Eagles GK revealed the Coaches will continue to look at handing opportunities to players in that position in order to build a talented pool for the first team as well as the CHAN Eagles.