I scouted Okoye for Eagles – Agali

Former Super Eagles forward Victor Agali has recounted how he played a key role in the discovery and early national team pathway of Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, revealing that he first spotted the shot-stopper while he was still developing in Germany’s second division, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Agali, who enjoyed spells in Germany with clubs such as Hansa Rostock and Schalke 04, said he identified Okoye’s potential during his time with Fortuna Düsseldorf’s reserve team in Germany’s second tier.

Okoye eventually made his Super Eagles debut in a 1-1 friendly draw against Brazil on October 13, 2019, and has since gone on to earn 19 international caps.

His international career, however, has been marked by intermittent involvement, including decisions to miss major tournaments such as the Africa Cup of Nations, though he recently returned to the national setup for a friendly against Iran.

Despite fluctuations in his national team status, the Udinese goalkeeper remains regarded as a strong competitor for the Super Eagles’ number one role, currently held by Stanley Nwabali.

Agali explained that his intervention began after observing Okoye’s performances at the club level and engaging both the player’s family and coaching staff to explore his eligibility for Nigeria.

“I was with his father in Düsseldorf. I watched him keep for the second team in Germany, because the coach at Fortuna Düsseldorf at that time was my coach in Rostock,” Agali said on Bet9ja’s Home Turf Podcast.

“I speak German very well, so I spoke to the coach, and I spoke with the father. The boy came to me, and we were having goalkeeper issues at the time in the national team.

“When I spoke with the father, he said I should speak to him and whatever the boy says, because he is European. I spoke to the boy, and he said yes, he would love to, but not for the Super Eagles at that time. He was still young, playing at U-17 or U-20 level.”

Agali further explained that after introducing the idea of representing Nigeria, he escalated discussions to the Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr.

“So I spoke to Gernot Rohr about him, and he reached out to the coach of his club. They spoke with the boy and told him they could only bring him in if he was playing for a top-flight team,” he added.

“I don’t know if he was transferred or loaned to a first division club in Holland to start keeping.”

Okoye has since progressed to top-flight football in Europe, earning a move to Udinese and continuing his development at the club level while remaining in contention for Nigeria’s goalkeeping department.