Nigerian and Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has shared insights into his unexpected journey to becoming a goalkeeper and other career experiences.
In an interview with Tribalfootball, the 24-year-old recounted, “I started as a striker but turned into a goalkeeper by accident.”
Okoye revealed that his early inspiration in football was Brazilian goalkeeper Nelson Dida. “Growing up, it has always been the one and only Nelson Dida of Brazil,” he said.
Despite challenges earlier in the season, Okoye had an impressive second half with Italian Serie A side Udinese. He joined Udinese on August 24, 2023, and has since become a regular player, helping the club avoid relegation last season.
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“As soon as I step on the pitch, I am always confident. But, of course, there are good and bad days. The art is to have as many good days as possible and fewer mistakes. Therefore, I am glad to have Sergio Macron as my goalkeeping coach,” Maduka Okoye said. “My skill set after one year working under him is already much wider. He’s going into every little detail of my goalkeeping and makes sure that there’s improvement every day.”
When asked about playing for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okoye expressed his passion for the team. “Yes, it has always been Nigeria for me, a childhood dream playing for the Super Eagles. Yes, Lutz played a big part in that… he was in good contact with Nigeria’s former coach Gernot Rohr; he opened that door for me.”
“With Rohr, I had a fantastic coach in my early years as a Super Eagle. I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunities he gave me at that time,” he added.
