Chelle gets Okoye boost ahead W’Cup qualifiers News

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Chelle gets Okoye boost ahead W’Cup qualifiers

By Daily Sports Nigeria on February 6, 2025

As reported by Tutto Udinese, Super Eagles goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, is back to full fitness and has returned to training for Italian club, Udinese, The PUNCH reports.

The 25-year-old has been sidelined since December after undergoing surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist.

However, Tutto Udinese on Wednesday confirmed that Okoye had resumed training with his club and would be available for selection when they face Napoli.

“A day of returns to the Bruseschi sports centre, where during today’s (Wednesday) Udinese training session, several players who have been away from the field in recent weeks due to injuries were seen on the pitch again,” the website wrote.

“In addition to Keinan Davis and Kingsley Ehizibue, Maduka Okoye also took part in the week’s session that will lead up to the match against Napoli. The Nigerian goalkeeper, who has been struggling with a wrist injury that has kept him out since early December, has therefore started training with his teammates again.”

Okoye’s return to fitness will serve as a major boost for newly appointed Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle who is set to be in charge of the team for the first time in their must-win World Cup qualifier fixtures against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March.

Nigeria will travel to Rwanda on March 21 before returning home for the second leg of the encounter against Zimbabwe.

After four matches, the three-time African champions sit in fifth place with just three points, four points behind leaders Rwanda, with six games left to play in the qualifying series.

In a bid to revive their campaign, Chelle, who has stressed that securing a 2026 World Cup ticket for Nigeria remains his top priority, will be buoyed by the return of the goalkeeper.

However, Okoye’s return to the pitch comes amid off-field controversy, as the 25-year-old is under investigation by the Udine Public Prosecutor’s Office over suspicious betting patterns around a yellow card he received during a Serie A match against Lazio in March 2024.

Okoye last featured for Udinese in their 2-0 home defeat against Genoa last Monday, playing the entire duration of the game and also making three saves in the game.

The 25-year-old has been consistent for Udinese this season, featuring in 14 games and making 42 saves to rank among the top four goalkeepers in the Italian topflight.

Source Punch Ng

Posted February 6, 2025