AFC Wrexham's goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo has put Maduka Okoye and Stanley Nwabali on their toes ahead of the 2026 Unity Cup with his recent statement, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 24-year-old's switch of allegiance was approved by FIFA two months ago and is a strong candidate to make his first appearance for the Green and Whites later this month.
Okonkwo was left on the bench for the final five fixtures of Wrexham's Championship season, with coach Phil Parkinson opting for Danny Ward as the Red Dragons narrowly missed out on the play-offs.
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Okoye, Nwabali warned by Arthur Okonkwo's comments
In a recent interview, the former Arsenal goalie admitted he wanted the Super Eagles switch a long time ago. He believes he has what it takes to nail down the starting berth.
“It's an honour to even get the opportunity to play for your country. I'm so excited; I can't wait. I've been wanting this moment for quite a while now, and to have this opportunity is incredible,” the former Sturm Graz keeper said.
“I want to become a consistent performer for the country, I want to be someone who they can trust in their goal for every game.
“Like I said, the process to get there starts with me integrating into the team, learn the way we play, connect with my defenders, the attackers, and everyone really.
“I know it's a process, but I want to work towards it and build that trust,” Arthur Okonkwo concluded.
Okonkwo's statement came on the back of Udinese coach Kosta Runjaic lauding Maduka Okoye for the way he's matured into a better goalkeeper for the Italian side this season.
“I'm very happy with the levels with which he's expressing himself. His season we know how it started, it's not easy to do the preparation without being able to play, but he's worked a lot on himself.
“He’s doing very well and he has to keep it that way,” the German tactician concluded.
Since Stanley Nwabali is currently without a club, the Super Eagles' number one spot is up for grabs, and anyone who impresses in the four games Nigeria have to play in the coming weeks stands a chance of making the position theirs.
Francis Uzoho and Adebayo Adeleye featured for the Super Eagles during the March International break after Maduka Okoye suffered an injury in the game against Iran.
