Maduka Okoye: Poor Start To The New Year For Super Eagles Goalkeeper

The young shot-stopper was on duty for his club on Saturday afternoon, but it still was not enough as Sparta fell to a home defeat in their first game of the new year

Nigeria's Maduka Okoye got 2020 off to a disappointing start after Sparta Rotterdam succumbed to a crushing 2-0 loss to Feyenoord at the Sparta-Stadion Het Kasteel on Sunday.

Super Eagles goalkeeper Okoye was not at his best, conceding twice as Hendrikus Fraser's men suffered their second loss in their last five matches. 

The former Fortuna Dusseldorf gloveman did his best to inspire the home side to victory, making one save, enjoying 35 touches on the ball, and getting in one clearance.

But Lutsharel Geertruida's 11th-minute header and Nicolai Joergensen's strike deep into stoppage time condemned Sparta to their seventh league defeat of the season.

Sunday's match is Okoye's ninth of the 15 matchdays old campaign. The 21-year-old has been in goal in all five of Sparta Rotterdam's victories while suffering losses in the other four.

The Nigeria international will hope for a better outcome when his side squares up against Fortuna Sittard in another Eredivisie clash on Wednesday.