#AFCON2021: 5 Things to Know about Maduka Okoye

Nigerian first-choice goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, has been the center of attraction in the Super Eagles team since the start of the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

He has been the focal focus of the female and male supporters of the Super Eagles because of his physique and his brilliant ability to keep clean sheets in games.

We have decided to put together five things you need to know about Maduka Okoye.

(1) He was named Sparta Rotterdam Player of the Year:

The Nigerian joined Rotterdam on July 1st, 2020, on a free transfer in the Dutch Eredivisie. He was named player of the year at the club after keeping a clean sheet during the 2020/2021 season.

(2) He made his professional debut in 2017:

Okoye made his professional debut as a goalkeeper in the Regionalliga West for Fortuna Dusseldorf II in a game against Wuppertaler SV replacing Max Schijns, who was injured in the 43rd minute of the game. He had five appearances for the club, conceding just a goal and keeping four clean sheets.

(3) He made his debut for the Super Eagles in 2019:

Okoye was invited to the national team on August 14th, 2019 in a friendly game against Ukraine, but he did not play in the match. He got his first international senior debut for Nigeria in a friendly game against Brazil, which ended 1-1 on October 13th, 2019.

(4) He joined Watford in 2021:

The 22-year-old joined the Premier League club on November 8th, 2021 on a five-and-a-half-year deal. He was supposed to the hornets in January 2022 and immediately be loaned back to Sparta Rotterdam until the end of the 2021/22 season.

(5) He is German-based Nigerian:

The goalkeeper was born in Dusseldorf, Germany, to a German mother and a Nigerian father. He made his intention to play for Nigeria in an interview in 2019.