One of the players yet to arrive in the camp of the senior national team ahead of this weekend’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic is Udinese first choice goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Okoye earned a return to the team during the last international break after withdrawing from the Africa Cup of Nations, owing to the backlash he suffered for his error that led to the exit of the Super Eagles from the 2021 delayed AFCON in 2022. His gaffe handed Tunisia a 1-0 win which eliminated Nigeria at the round of 16.
He has since declared his readiness to return to the team, but in his absence Stanley Nwabali of Chippa United has made the number 1 spot his with a strong performance at the AFCON, but Okoye who has been earning rave reviews for his performance for Udinese was widely expected to challenge for the spot.
That dream looks a bit unsure for now because it is not certain if he will honour the invitation as he is yet to arrive in the camp of the team with pictures showing him attending a movie premiere in Italy.
It’s still not clear if he has been granted permission to resume late for the games against Benin Republic and Rwanda on the 7th and 10th respectively.
Sources in the camp of the team also confirmed that he hasn’t confirmed his withdrawal from the game , but his arrival date is in doubt as well.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
