‘We deserved to win’ – Okoye breaks silence on Nigeria’s AFCON heartbreak, World Cup miss

Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has opened up on Nigeria’s recent struggles on the international stage, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Udinese shot-stopper, who has been part of the Nigerian setup since 2019, reflected honestly on the team’s disappointment at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and their failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Nigeria went into the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with high hopes of lifting the trophy, but their journey ended in heartbreak. After reaching the semi-finals, they lost on penalties to hosts Morocco and had to settle for a third-place finish.

Okoye was not part of the squad for the tournament, having excused himself while Stanley Nwabali took charge as first-choice goalkeeper. Watching from home did not make the pain any easier.

Maduka Okoye told SportyTV, “I was watching from home as a supporter, like all the other 200–300 million Nigerians. We deserved to win the Cup, but next year is already the next opportunity for us, and we will do everything to bring it home again.”

That disappointment was followed by an even bigger setback, as the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. For a country with Nigeria’s football history and talent pool, missing out on the global showpiece was a major blow.

Okoye admitted that even the players themselves are still searching for answers.

“National team football is a different kind of football, and the answer might be in the World Cup,” Okoye said.

“I don’t really know, because we have the quality, we have great players, top-level players, top characters in the team. Hopefully, we get it done next time.”

Despite the setbacks, the 24-year-old remains optimistic that the team can bounce back stronger in future competitions.

Maduka Okoye: Choosing Nigeria over Germany and looking ahead

After missing AFCON, Okoye has now been recalled to the Super Eagles squad for upcoming international friendlies against Iran and Jordan in Antalya. His return signals a fresh chapter as Nigeria begins to rebuild.

Born in Germany to a German mother and Nigerian father, Okoye had the opportunity to represent Germany at international level. However, his heart was always set on Nigeria.

Okoye said, “I grew up in Germany, but my father was very, very present in my life, especially in my young and early ages. So, I keep a lot of Nigerian inside of me, and I'm very proud of it.”

He also revealed that choosing Nigeria was never a difficult decision, even though he had experience with German youth teams.

“I always knew I wanted to play for Nigeria, and back then I didn’t have another option. Of course, I went to youth German selections, but when the time came for Nigeria, I knew this was a dream, and I made it come true, by God's grace.”

With 18 caps to his name, Okoye remains part of Nigeria’s goalkeeping pool as the team looks to move past recent disappointments.