Okoye two weeks from return, doubtful for W’Cup qualifiers

Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye still has about two weeks more on the sidelines and remains doubtful for Nigeria’s crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March, NewsNGR Sports Extra reports.

Okoye went under the knife in December after suffering an injury on his right wrist.

Although the club did not stipulate how long the goalkeeper is expected to be sidelined, Okoye has been out since December, missing 13 games in all competitions, and he is still expected to be out for a little longer.

The club are now in some sort of goalkeeping crisis, following an injury to Razvan Sava, who has been deputising for Okoye.

“Udinese Calcio announces that Razvan Sava has suffered a compound fracture of the fifth finger of his right hand. The player will undergo surgery on Saturday at the Villa Stuart clinic in Rome”.

In the meantime, Padelli, the third goalkeeper, warms up his gloves and prepares to make up for the absence in goal while the club awaits Okoye’s return.

As reported by TMW, the Friulian club is preparing to welcome back Okoye, who should return to training with the group within two weeks.

This timeline means Okoye might not be fit in time for the Super Eagles’ crucial 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Rwanda on March 17 and Zimbabwe on March 24.

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.

Meanwhile, the goalkeeper is under investigation for alleged suspicious betting patterns related to a yellow card he received during Udinese’s 2-1 defeat of Lazio last year.

According to reports, if found guilty, Okoye could face a lengthy ban from all football-related activities, as Italian regulations impose severe penalties for athletes directly involved in manipulating match events.