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By Bosun Adeyemi
Nigeria’s goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, has shed light on why he was left out of the Super Eagles’ final squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). According to reports from Italy, Okoye informed the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that he wouldn’t participate in the tournament unless he’s guaranteed the number one spot.
Okoye, who plays for Udinese in the Italian Serie A, emphasized that he’d rather stay with his club as the first-choice goalkeeper than be a backup in the AFCON. His club, Udinese, even communicated this information to the NFF, highlighting the importance of Okoye places on regular game time.
The decision to exclude Okoye from the squad came after Stanley Nwabali, the Chippa United goalkeeper, recovered from his injury, making him fit for the tournament. Francis Uzoho, who replaced Okoye as the first-choice goalkeeper after his blunder in the 2021 AFCON, has been drafted into the squad alongside Nwabali and Amas Obasogie.
Despite Okoye’s impressive performance since returning from a two-month ban for a betting-related offense, the coach opted for Uzoho, citing concerns over Okoye’s potential lack of game time in the tournament.
