Former Super Eagles captain and star player turned pundit, Austine Jay-Jay Okocha has criticized the Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro for his ‘poor’ treatment of Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye in the senior national team.
Okoye was not included in the 25-man list that will represent Nigeria at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations despite Nigeria lacking enough talents in the goalkeeping department.
Frank Uzoho, Stanley Nwabili and Olorunleke Ojo are the three goalkeepers named for the tournament, however, Okocha has faulted Peseiro’s treatment of the Udinese goalkeeper.
Okoye was at fault for the only goal of the Nigeria Vs Tunisia game which pushed West African giants out of the Nations Cup.
In a new interview with BBC’s Osasu Obayiuwana, the former Bolton star stated that it was wrong for Peseiro to judge Okoye with the 2021 AFCON blunder in the round of 16.
“[Okoye] is the one keeper who has the type of training and football upbringing that we need in a goalkeeper in the national team. But he is excluded. It’s strange, very strange” Okocha told BBC’s Osasu Obayiuwana.
“The way he
was handled [after the Round of 16 game against Tunisia] talks about
the quality of player management in the national team.”
