After missing 13 Super Eagles’ matches in a row, Maduka Okoye owes his recall to war in Israel

Maduka Okoye may have his taste of action in the Super Eagles for the first time 20 months since an understrength Tunisia shocked Nigeria out of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Garoua, Cameroon.

Since that encounter in which the Super Eagles lost 1-0, Okoye, a goalkeeper had been out of the team which has had a series of 13 matches.

He was an unused substitute in the 4-0 defeat of Super Eagles by Portugal last year November.

His recall, it was gathered, is occasioned by the inability of Adebayo Adeleye to leave Israel following the war that broke out in the region at the weekend when the Palestine Hamas, launched a surprise attack on Israel and the latter following up with reprisal attack.

Adeleye is a goalkeeper with Hapoel Jerusalem. Uefa has put on hold all international fixtures involving Israel. That proved pivotal to Maduka, the goalkeeper with Italy’s Udinese who was hitherto overlooked by Jose Peseiro.