MADUKA Okoye will not be taking part in the Qatar 2022 World Cup playoffs, Super Eagles officials have confirmed.
The first-choice goalkeeper for the Nigeria national team is unavailable as a result of illness, Super Eagles media officer Femi Raji announced on Tuesday.
Okoye, who will leave Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam for Watford in England at the end of this season, has been replaced by Enyimba’s John Noble.
Although he came under heavy criticism in January for his part in the Super Eagles’ Cameroon 2021 Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 defeat to Tunisia, Okoye has been in form of late and a key part of Austin Eguavoen’s plans.
The 22-year-old Okoye has kept six clean sheets in 22 Sparta Rotterdam games this season, but three of them have come in his last four appearances.
Okoye has played 13 times for the Super Eagles since making his debut in October 2019.
In Okoye’s absence, one of Francis Uzoho and Daniel Akpeyi is expected to man the posts in the playoffs, with the first leg billed for Friday in Kumasi.
Meanwhile, the number of Super Eagles players in their Abuja camp grew to 20 by Tuesday afternoon.
Villarreal forward Samuel Chukwueze, Watford’s Emmanuel Dennis and Glasgow Rangers pair Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey all reached the camp on Tuesday.
France-based midfielder Innocent Bonke, who was called up to replace the injured Wilfred Ndidi, as well as Porto left-back Zaidu Sanusi and Spain-bassd centre-back Kenneth Omeruo also joined the team on Tuesday.
The only players being expected as at Tuesday afternoon were Noble, Akinkunmi Amoo of FC Copenhagen, Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Sadiq Umar.
The team will have their first training session at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium on Tuesday evening.
SUPER EAGLES IN CAMP
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Defenders: Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Calvin Bassey (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal)
Midfielders: Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Innocent Bonke (FC Lorient, France); Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford FC, England);
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Odion Jude Ighalo (Al-Hilal FC, Saudi Arabia); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Emmanuel Dennis (Watford FC, England);
EXPECTED John Noble(Enyimba FC, Nigeria), Akinkunmi Amoo (FC Copenhagen, Denmark), Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Ademola Lookman (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain).
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