Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was in Milan with Cardi B while Nigeria trained without him: now the coach has 'decisions' to make
He went viral for one save, got crowned the internet's most attractive goalkeeper and landed next to Cardi B at a couture show. His national team coach, with a qualifier on Friday and a keeper short, is considerably less charmed.
Nigeria plays Madagascar on Friday, September 25, in Uyo, opening its qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, and as of Thursday one of its three goalkeepers still hadn't shown up. At Thursday's pre-match press conference, head coach Eric Chelle was asked about Maduka Okoye, the Udinese keeper who has spent the week in headlines next to Cardi B. Chelle did not sound amused, Vanguard reported:
"His club Udinese asked me to let him make some activities for the club. He was supposed to come but is not here." — Eric Chelle
Chelle added that he would "manage the situation" but has decisions to make. "We will see," he said, per OwnGoal Nigeria, which described him as visibly angry. With Okoye missing, the squad has two keepers, and Stanley Nwabali is expected to start against Madagascar.
The club activity was a runway
Camp opened Monday, September 21. At the first training session on Tuesday, 23 of 24 players were on the field, and Okoye was the only one missing. That same day he was at Milan Fashion Week. Udinese said he was there to model the club's new third kit, according to Legit.ng. Cardi B walked the runway at Vogue World: Milano, and a fan video caught the two having drinks at an afterparty.
Okoye was born in Germany and plays for Nigeria as a naturalized citizen. Outside football few knew his name until a clip of one of his saves went viral on TikTok and the internet crowned him the most attractive footballer on the planet. The Cardi B sightings started soon after:
- July, Paris. Seated side by side at the Jean Paul Gaultier couture show. They share a stylist, Kollin Carter.
- Summer, Venice. Dinner with friends, caught by TMZ.
- Late August, Trieste. Seen together again, about an hour's drive from Udine, where he plays his club football.
- September 22, Milan. The afterparty, on the day his national team started training.
Cardi hopes so, the coach will see
Neither of them has confirmed anything. The closest thing to a statement came in Cardi's recent Vogue Arabia cover interview, where she was asked about him:
"He was really sweet. When you see him on social media, he looks very strict, stern, but he is very kind." — Cardi B to Vogue Arabia
Asked whether she wanted to see more of him, she said, "I hope so," Cosmopolitan notes. The sightings began after her breakup with NFL receiver Stefon Diggs. Okoye's ex, Jelicia Westhoff, the mother of his son, has posted pointed comments about him since the rumors began.
Team sources told OwnGoal that Okoye posted on social media suggesting he was on his way but hadn't been in touch with the camp. After Madagascar, Nigeria plays Guinea-Bissau away on Tuesday, September 29. Whether Okoye is on that plane is now Chelle's call.
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