Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has revealed that Sergio Macron, his goalkeeping coach at Udinese, played a crucial role in reviving his football career.
Okoye’s career took a downturn during his time at Watford, and his struggles were compounded by a critical error that contributed to Nigeria’s exit from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in the round of 16. Since that incident, Okoye has struggled to reclaim his starting position with the national team, but his club career has seen a significant turnaround.
During the 2022-2023 season, Okoye spent half the season on loan at Sparta Rotterdam, unable to secure regular playing time at Watford. However, his fortunes changed when he joined Italian Serie A side Udinese on August 24, 2023. Since then, he has become a regular starter and helped the club avoid relegation last season.
In an interview with Tribal Football, Okoye expressed his gratitude towards Macron, saying, “As soon as I step on the pitch, I am always confident. But, of course, there are good and bad days. The art is to have as many good days as possible and fewer mistakes. Therefore, I am glad to have Sergio Macron as my goalkeeping coach. My skill set after one year working under him is already much wider. He’s going into every little detail of my goalkeeping and makes sure that there’s improvement every day.”
Born in Germany to a German mother and a Nigerian father, Okoye was eligible to play for either country. He chose to represent Nigeria, making his debut under former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr on October 13, 2019. Since then, he has earned 16 caps for the national team.
When asked about his decision to play for Nigeria, Okoye said, “Yes, it has always been Nigeria for me, a childhood dream playing for the Super Eagles. Lutz [Pfannenstiel] played a big part in that… he was in good contact with Nigeria’s former coach Gernot Rohr; he opened that door for me. With Rohr, I had a fantastic coach in my early years as a Super Eagle. I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunities he gave me during that time!”