Okoye faces criticism for arriving late to Super Eagles camp

Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was the last player to join the Super Eagles camp in Uyo. This is ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

The Super Eagles camp opened on Sunday. Twenty-three players came in on Monday and took part in the first training session. Okoye was the only player not present.

On Wednesday morning, a video of the 27-year-old surfaced on social media. In the footage, he was seen chatting with American rapper Cardi B at Milan Fashion Week. He also modelled Udinese’s third kit there.

This video led to backlash from Nigerian fans and journalists online. This is not the first time Okoye has been seen with Cardi B. He was also spotted with her at Paris Fashion Week during the summer.

His appearance at the fashion event on Tuesday night seemed to explain why he had not yet arrived at camp. His teammates were already preparing for the match against Madagascar on Friday.

Despite his club activities, the Super Eagles did not officially announce when he was expected to arrive. Journalist Samuel Areo raised concerns about the lack of communication. Others also criticized Okoye for what they called his habit of arriving late to camp.

“Like I said in my previous tweet, the communication gap will always be a problem and it’s not the first time. If they’ve not seen him or others, people will always ask questions,” Areo posted on X.

“I don’t want to overreact, but even if you’re not in camp with less than 42 hours to go to important qualifying matches for your country, you should not be seen in public places. It’s a big insult to the other players that are in camp,” said On-Air Personality Buchi Onakola.

A fan, Leye Mabeoruoraye, also called on the Nigeria Football Federation to address the issue. “Maduka has always been coming late to Super Eagles camp, even if the video isn’t recent. I hope the NFF stops this. Our players don’t respect international breaks unlike their European counterparts,” he posted.

Okoye missed the last AFCON and has not been the first choice since he took a break from the team in 2022. But he seemed to be regaining his spot when Stanley Nwabali was not included in the squad in March and June.

He had strong performances against Poland and Portugal in June, which appeared to earn him the trust of coach Eric Chelle. With Okoye initially missing and Nwabali back in the squad for the AFCON qualifiers, it looked like he might miss Friday’s match before finally joining the team.

Arriving late is not new for Okoye. In June 2024, he was the last player to arrive at camp for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against South Africa in Uyo. Nigeria drew 1-1 with South Africa and lost 2-1 to Benin Republic in Ivory Coast.

He also faced criticism for being late during Nigeria’s preparations for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers in November 2025. Okoye had a short time as the first-choice goalkeeper when Nwabali was absent in March and June. But with Nwabali back and Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo also in the squad, it is unclear who Chelle will choose for the goal.

Nwabali and Okoye have much more international experience than Okonkwo, who would be making his competitive debut for Nigeria if picked. Interestingly, Okoye arrived at camp earlier when he seemed to be the first choice in previous international windows.

This season, Okoye has conceded 11 goals in five Serie A matches for Udinese and has not kept a clean sheet. Since his Nigeria debut against Brazil in October 2019, he has made 21 appearances for the Super Eagles. He also had a notable break from the team between 2022 and June 2024.