Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye recently captured attention on social media after being featured in a Simpsons-inspired cartoon illustration, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Simpsons is a long-running American animated television series created by Matt Groening. It first premiered on December 17, 1989, and is one of the most popular and influential TV shows in history.
The cover design, created by Stefano Mondo, also known as Steart, was shared on the Udinese goalkeeper’s social media pages.
Reacting to the artwork, Okoye expressed his admiration with, “Hai fatto la magia fra,” meaning “You worked the magic, bro.”
Meanwhile, Okoye is recovering from a turbulent international break with the Nigeria national team. After being involved in a tense situation in Libya, where the Super Eagles were detained for over 15 hours in hostile conditions en route to an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, Okoye returned to Udinese.
The Super Eagles’ match was eventually cancelled, and the team returned home traumatized from the saga between the two federations.
However, earlier reports suggest that the Serie A side, Udinese, is closely monitoring Okoye’s physical and mental condition ahead of their crucial Serie A clash against AC Milan
Despite being Nigeria’s second-choice goalkeeper, Okoye has been Udinese’s first-choice keeping two clean sheets in their first seven league games. The club is keen to ensure that Okoye is fully recovered and ready to take on the challenge at San Siro.