Super Eagles goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, arrived in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, late Wednesday night, joining his teammates for the crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic.
Okoye’s arrival means that the new coach, Finidi George, now has the complete 23-man squad at his disposal for the qualifiers against South Africa on Friday and Benin Republic on Monday.
Earlier, Okoye was among eight players stranded in Lagos and Abuja on Monday due to the nationwide strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress, which disrupted flight operations across the country. The industrial action affected the overall planning for the match, forcing the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to arrange chartered flights to transport the stranded players to Uyo.
While the other players arrived in Uyo on Tuesday, Okoye’s arrival was delayed, with the federation not providing specific reasons for his extended stay in Abuja.
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 are in camp.”
The NFF also confirmed that most of the match officials were scheduled to fly out of Abuja on Wednesday, with referee assessor Ahmed Sayed Abou Elela from Egypt expected to arrive in Nigeria on Thursday.
Nigeria currently has two points from their first two games in Group C and must secure victories in both upcoming matches to have a chance of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Rwanda leads the group with four points from two games, while South Africa is second with three points, just one point ahead of third-place Nigeria.
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