Maduka Okoye has credited Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle for helping him rediscover his confidence with the Nigerian national team following an impressive run of performances during the June international window, Footynaija reports.
The Udinese goalkeeper, who has ranked the world’s best shot-stoppers, was one of Nigeria’s standout performers in friendly matches against Poland and Portugal. He produced crucial saves to frustrate some of world football’s biggest names, including Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Looking back on his recent outings, the 26-year-old said the experience went beyond results and personal displays, stressing that he has genuinely enjoyed his football again while representing Nigeria.
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“Aside from the performance, which I’m personally very happy with, the fun I’ve had on the pitch these past few months is priceless,” Okoye told Transfermarkt.
The former Watford shot-stopper also revealed the fierce competition among Nigeria’s goalkeepers and acknowledged that Chelle’s decision to hand him opportunities played a major role in his resurgence.
“I’m very grateful to national coach Éric Chelle for giving me these games and his trust. We have many good goalkeepers who also deserved it, but he gave me the chance to prove myself,” he said.
“And I hope I was able to repay that with my performance. I hope he and his coaching staff continue down this path with Nigeria. It’s a lot of fun playing under him.”
Okoye’s recent success is a remarkable turnaround after a difficult period earlier in the season when he missed Udinese’s opening six Serie A matches amid issues linked to a betting investigation.
He eventually fought his way back into the side and became one of Udinese’s most reliable performers. With the new campaign approaching, Okoye will now be aiming to maintain that momentum for both club and country while continuing to justify the faith shown in him by Chelle and his coaching staff.
