Oliseh Defends Maduka Okoye’s Absence from Eagles in Morocco 

Former  Super Eagles Captain, Sunday Oliseh, has defended Maduka Okoye who refused to turn up for Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations starting in Morocco today.

The Udinese goalkeeper who was initially included in Eric Chelle’s 54-man provisional squad was omitted from the final 28-man team for the AFCON. It was later learnt that Okoye wanted confirmation from the coach that he will not leave his club in Italy and go to Morocco to play second fiddle to any other goalkeeper in the team.

Speaking yesterday on his Sunday Oliseh’s Global Football Show, the former Juventus midfielder insisted that Maduka Okoye is not to be blamed for demanding to be Number 1 goalkeeper of the Super Eagles.

“The goalkeeper, they are a different race. The goalkeeper is a totally different species. It’s a different race,”  began the  former Borussia Dortmund midfielder 

Oliseh, who led the Super Eagles to three World Cup tournaments and an AFCON title, revealed that the Udinese goalkeeper is not to be blamed, stating the position gets a different treatment away from outfield players.

“The way you manage the goalkeeper is not the way they manage players. Goalkeepers must know in advance whether they will play or not. That is how it’s going to be.

“Going specifically now to Okoye, the last game he played for Nigeria, I remember this boy being torn into bits online, television, everywhere.

“He was so much destroyed that I remember looking at it and saying, If this boy were my son. I will tell him now, go and stop playing. Just go make your life again. Forget it.

“Now, if you look at it from the man’s point of view, Okoye is now at Udinese. He is doing very well. He’s now finally got his act back together.

“That is why we (Nigeria) invited him, that is why he’s even on the list of being invited. Because he has now worked himself back up, you know, and people did not even look at it that as, at the time Okoye was keeping for Nigeria, the defence was not really what it was, so he was a lot exposed, and of course he made some errors too, but he was exposed.”

Given the competitive nature of the goalkeeping area, Oliseh stressed that it was possible that Maduka Okoye may not get back the number 1 shirt at his club after AFCON.

“Now, having fought himself back to this point. His coming now to play at the AFCON at a time when the league is still on in Europe means that he will be losing his place at Udinese.

“If this player now comes to the Super Eagles and you don’t play him. Once again, you destroy this man because what happens is that now he will not play here.

“He will go back to his club. God forbid the goalkeeper who took his place has done well in a few games.

“They will not tell him, sorry, you went for AFCON, now you sit on the bench. The man is tied down.

“So that is why it’s not the goalkeepers, we tell the goalkeepers in advance, you’re going to keep, because they have a special way of working.