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Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has opened up about the goalkeeping error that cost Nigeria in the round of 16 of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Heading into the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) dismissed coach Gernot Rohr just weeks before the tournament and appointed Augustine Eguavoen.
Under Eguavoen’s leadership, Nigerians were optimistic as the team delivered impressive performances against Egypt, Guinea Bissau, and Sudan finishing top of their group.
However, to everyone’s disappointment, the three-time African champions were eliminated in the round of 16 by Tunisia.
Going into the game, Nigeria were the favorites to win, especially as Tunisia was plagued with injuries.
Unfortunately, a big mistake from Okoye and Alex Iwobi cost them the win.
Okoye misjudged a shot from Youssef Msakni, allowing the ball to slip past him into the net.
Adding to the team’s woes, Alex Iwobi was sent off for dangerous play barely seven minutes after he was introduced into the game.
“At that moment, I told myself I should have done better. It pains me to this day, to be honest,” Okoye told Oma Akatugba.
Credit | Twitter (OkoyeMaduka)
“You could see it was a mistake because I had to keep the ball out of the goal. If I want to play at Inter Milan, then I have to do better in such situations.
“I’ve been training hard and improving over the last two years because I don’t want things like that to happen again. Mistakes happen. Last week, Manuel Neuer, one of the best, made a mistake. It’s part of the game, and it was hard for me as a young boy to go through it after it happened.
“I’m not just talking about what I read on social media. It’s more about the feeling of letting your teammates down, your family down, and your country down. At this stage, I’m not even reading the nonsense on social media anymore. Some people still criticize Cristiano Ronaldo despite his achievements.
“People will always say something negative. I know I didn’t perform well in that situation, and I let my teammates and my country down. To this day, I am unhappy and sad about it. I wish I could change it, but it happened, and I’ve learned from my mistake.”
Okoye seems to be back at his best now, serving as the first-choice goalkeeper for Udinese with five clean sheets in 21 games.
Maduka Okoye makes a save against AC Milan in a Seria A match. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
