Footballer, Maduka Okoye has joined the Super Eagles camp in Ikot Ekpene ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
The Udinese goalkeeper arrived in Uyo on Friday morning.The 27-year-old’s arrival means head coach Éric Chelle now has all 24 invited players at his disposal ahead of the qualifiers.
Okoye’s late arrival sparked intense criticism from fans and journalists after footage surfaced online showing the goalkeeper socializing with American rapper Cardi B over drinks in Milan earlier in the week.
Okoye was in Italy for Udinese’s third kit presentation at Milan Fashion Week, where he was spotted alongside the Grammy-winning musician, fueling ongoing dating speculation following similar joint appearances in Paris and Venice.
Addressing his delayed arrival, Chelle explained on Thursday that the goalkeeper had been granted official permission to remain with his club to attend to scheduled commitments.
“His club asked me to allow him to take care of some club-related activities, and I agreed. Now, I have to manage the situation,” Chelle said during his interaction with the media.
Despite joining the squad, Okoye is expected to sit out Friday’s opening qualifier against Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.