Nigeria and Udinese goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye remains sidelined for at least two more weeks, making him doubtful for Nigeria’s crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March.
Okoye underwent wrist surgery in December and has since missed 13 matches across all competitions. Although Udinese has not specified a return date, reports suggest he is still recovering and may not regain full fitness in time for the qualifiers.
Adding to Udinese’s woes, Razvan Sava, who had been deputizing for Okoye, recently suffered a compound fracture in his right hand and is set to undergo surgery. As a result, third-choice goalkeeper Daniele Padelli is expected to step in until Okoye returns.
According to Italian media outlet TMW, Okoye is expected to resume training within two weeks. However, this timeline puts his availability for Nigeria’s matches against Rwanda on March 17 and Zimbabwe on March 24 in serious doubt.
The Super Eagles currently sit in fifth place in their qualifying group with three points—four points behind leaders Rwanda—with six games left in the campaign.
Meanwhile, Okoye is also under investigation over alleged suspicious betting activity related to a yellow card he received during Udinese’s 2-1 win against Lazio last year. If found guilty, he could face a lengthy ban, as Italian football regulations impose strict penalties on players involved in match-fixing scandals.
