AFCON: It still pains me – Super Eagles goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye reveals regret
Maduka Okoye, the Super Eagles goalkeeper, has acknowledged he is still sad after his error cost the team a spot in the round of 16 of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, according to Soccernet.ng.
Nigeria, led by Augustine Eguavoen, had a strong start to the tournament, easily defeating Egypt, Guinea Bissau, and Sudan.
This gave fans hope that the Eagles would go all the way and win their fourth AFCON title.
In the following round, they were defeated by Tunisia, who were dealing with injuries.
Okoye underestimated Youssef Msakni's shot, which crept past him and into the net.
Alex Iwobi was also sent off seven minutes after being brought on, causing fury on social media.
It was Okoye's last appearance for Nigeria, as he was either not called up or watched from the bench.
In an interview with Oma, Okoye discussed the incident.
He said, "At that point, I told myself I should have done better." To be honest, it still saddens me now.
"You could tell it was a mistake because I needed to keep the ball out of the net. If I want to play for Inter Milan, I must perform better in such scenarios.
"I've been training hard and improving over the previous two years because I don't want this to happen again.
"Mistakes happen; last week, Manuel Neuer, one of the best, made a mistake. It's part of the game, and it was difficult for me as a young boy to deal with once it happened.
"I'm not only talking about what I read on social media; it's also about the emotion of letting your teammates, family, and country down.
"At this stage, I am not even reading the nonsense on social media anymore. Some people still talk bad about Cristiano Ronaldo despite his achievements.
"Someone will always say something negative about you." I know I didn't do well in that situation, and I know I disappointed my teammates and my country.
"And I'm still to this day unhappy and sad about it, and I wish I could do differently, but it happened and I learned from my mistake."
