Okoye looking to play first league game in 18 months, makes 26-man team to face AC Milan in Serie A game
Super Eagles goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye will be hoping he did enough in his man of the match display in his club, Udinese’s 2-1 Coppa Italia loss to Cagliari last mid-week to deserve a look in Saturday’s game between his club and AC Milan at the San Siro.
Okoye, 24, made his debut for the Italian side in the game and was among the 26 players that have been called by Udinese gaffer, Gabriele Cioffi for the trip to Milan.
The Nigerian has not played a league game since he featured for Dutch Eredivise side, Sparta Rotterdam in their final game of the season at Erve Asito against Heracles Almelo in May 2022.
It was Okoye’s 30th start in 30 games for the Dutch side. It was also his final league game for the game as he moved to Watford, a Sky Championship side in England where he failed to feature in the 20 games he was named in the squad.
Okoye played just twice for the Hornets and both were in Cup games viz the FA Cup (2-0 loss at Reading) and the EFL (Carabao) Cup (2-0 loss to visiting MK Dons).
The Super Eagles goalie has featured just twice this year (in the FA Cup loss to Reading and Coppa Italia loss to Cagliari) and will hope he builds on his performance in the Copa Italia so as to make Nigeria’s squad to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
