Late Wednesday night, Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye arrived in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, to join his teammates for the crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic.
Okoye’s timely arrival ensures that new head coach Finidi George has the full complement of his 23-man squad for the important qualifiers against South Africa on Friday and Benin Republic on Monday.
Earlier in the week, Okoye was among eight players who were left stranded in Lagos and Abuja due to the nationwide strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress, which disrupted flight operations across the country. The strike disrupted the general planning for the matches, prompting the Nigeria Football Federation to arrange chartered flights to transport the stranded players to Uyo.
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While most of the players arrived in Uyo on Tuesday, Okoye’s delayed arrival raised questions, with the federation not providing reasons for the delay.
Confirming Okoye’s arrival, Eagles media officer Promise Efoghe announced on the team’s WhatsApp platform, “Update: Maduka Okoye has arrived at the Eagles nest. All 23 players in camp.”
According to the NFF, the majority of match officials were also scheduled to depart from Abuja on Wednesday, with only referee assessor Ahmed Sayed Abou Elela from Egypt expected to arrive in Nigeria on Thursday.
With Nigeria securing two points from their opening two games in Group C, they must secure victories in both matches to enhance their chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Rwanda currently leads the group unexpectedly with four points from two games, while South Africa sits in second place with three points, one point ahead of third-place Nigeria.
