By Paul Joseph
Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has been spotted with American rapper Cardi B in Milan, Italy, as questions continue to surround his absence from Nigeria’s camp ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
A video of Okoye and the American musician surfaced on social media, attracting reactions from Nigerian football fans and journalists.
The development comes as Okoye remains the only player among the 24-man squad invited by Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle who had yet to join the team in camp.
Nigeria are preparing for their AFCON qualifying fixtures against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
Okoye had been Chelle’s first-choice goalkeeper during the period Stanley Nwabali was sidelined. The Udinese goalkeeper also featured for Nigeria in the international friendly matches against Poland and Portugal in June.
His performances for Udinese had further strengthened his position in the national team setup, with expectations that he would continue in goal for the Super Eagles.
While the invited players were expected to report to camp by Monday or Tuesday, 23 members of the squad had arrived by Tuesday evening and participated in the team’s opening training session in Ikot-Ekpene.
Okoye, however, was still absent as Chelle continued preparations for the qualifiers.
The emergence of the video showing the goalkeeper in Milan has now generated further discussion among Nigerian football followers, particularly because of its timing amid his absence from camp.
Nigeria are scheduled to face Madagascar on Friday, September 25, in their opening fixture of the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.
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