Maduka Okoye regrets Africa Cup of Nations mistake, denies trauma from social media abuse

Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has admitted to the mistake he made during the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) clash against Tunisia, a mistake that ultimately led to the Super Eagles’ elimination.

Two minutes into the second half, Youssef Msakni fired a powerful shot from outside the penalty area that many thought Okoye should have saved with ease. The goal proved decisive and eliminated Nigeria from the tournament.

This error sparked heavy criticism and the Udinese player was subsequently removed from the starting lineup. Although he was named as a substitute five times since then, he has not featured in any league matches for the national team.

Maduka Okoye expresses regret

Speaking to OmaSports TV, the German-born shooter expressed regret over the incident at AFCON.

“Looking back at this moment, I definitely know I could have done better,” Okoye admitted. “It’s something that hurts me to this day. This is actually the first time I’ve really talked about this.

“You could call it a mistake because in the end I had to prevent the ball from going into the net.

“Such things happen in football. Just look at a player like Manuel Neuer, probably one of the best goalkeepers in the world, even he makes mistakes. It’s part of the game.”

Reacting to criticism after AFCON

Following his exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, Maduka Okoye faced heavy criticism online, prompting him to disable comments on his Instagram account and take other action.

However, the 24-year-old revealed that contrary to popular belief, the reaction itself did not move him that much.

“As a young player, it was hard for me to go through what happened,” he said. “It wasn’t necessarily the social media noise that bothered me the most.

“It was more about letting down my teammates, my family and my country. I don’t pay attention to what people write on social media.”

“Even someone like Cristiano Ronaldo still faces criticism. There will always be negativity. I know I didn’t do well in that situation and I understand that I let my country and my teammates down. I’m sad even today and I wish things had turned out differently.”

Despite the setback, Okoye credits the experience with helping him grow. “It happened and I learned from my mistakes. “The most important thing is that I was able to move on and I think I’m in a better place now than I was then.”