Popular sports journalist Oma Akatugba has claimed that Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye once turned down the romantic interest of a daughter of a Nigerian billionaire despite being encouraged to pursue the relationship.
Akatugba made the revelation in a post on X, recounting an encounter with the goalkeeper when he was still playing for Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam and living in the Netherlands. According to the journalist, he was visiting Okoye when the goalkeeper showed him a message he had received from the daughter of a wealthy Nigerian businessman.
Sharing the story, Akatugba wrote: “One day I was at Maduka’s place while he was still living in Holland, and he showed me his phone. He had a message from the daughter of a Nigerian billionaire.”
He said he immediately encouraged Okoye to take the opportunity seriously because of the woman’s background. “I screamed, ‘Bro, this one na big fish o!’” Akatugba recalled. However, the goalkeeper reportedly declined to pursue the relationship, explaining that the woman did not fit his personal preferences.
According to Akatugba, Okoye simply laughed and replied: “Yeah, but she’s not really in my league beauty-wise.” The journalist said he was surprised by the response, adding: “I just held my head like, wow.” The identity of the billionaire’s daughter was not disclosed.
Okoye became one of Nigeria’s most talked-about footballers after making his Super Eagles debut in 2019, attracting widespread attention from fans, particularly on social media, due to his appearance and physique.
As public admiration for the goalkeeper continued to grow, Okoye later clarified that he was already in a committed relationship. The 25-year-old goalkeeper is currently in a long-term relationship with Dutch model Jelicia Westhoff. The couple share a son, Isaiah Emil Okoye.
See Oma’s tweet here…
