'A lot of fun playing under him' - Okoye grateful to Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle

Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has expressed his gratitude to Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle for the confidence shown in him, describing his recent experience with the national team as both enjoyable and rewarding.

The Udinese shot-stopper, who enjoyed an impressive campaign in the Italian Serie A, featured prominently for Nigeria during the international friendly matches against Poland and Portugal in June.

Okoye delivered standout performances in both encounters, producing a series of crucial saves, including denying Poland captain Robert Lewandowski and Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo from getting on the scoresheet.

Reflecting on his performances and return to the national team, Okoye said he was delighted not only with his displays but also with the atmosphere and confidence instilled by the coaching staff.

"Aside from the performance, which I’m personally very happy with, the fun I’ve had on the pitch these past few months is priceless,” Okoye told Transfermarkt.

The former Watford goalkeeper reserved special praise for Chelle, acknowledging the competition for places in the squad and appreciating the opportunity he was given to prove himself.

“I’m very grateful to national coach Éric Chelle for giving me these games and his trust. We have many good goalkeepers who also deserved it, but he gave me the chance to prove myself,” he said.

“And I hope I was able to repay that with my performance. I hope he and his coaching staff continue down this path with Nigeria. It’s a lot of fun playing under him.”

Okoye's resurgence comes after a challenging period that saw him miss the first six league matches of the season amid issues related to a betting scandal.

However, the goalkeeper responded strongly, establishing himself as one of Udinese’s key performers during the campaign.

With the 2026/27 season approaching, Okoye will be aiming to build on his strong form at both club and international level as he seeks to justify the faith placed in him by Udinese and the Super Eagles coaching crew.