Africa-Press – Eritrea. Udinese head coach Kosta Runjaic has confirmed that Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye will join up with the Super Eagles squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday, December 14, immediately after the club’s Serie A fixture against Napoli.
This comes in the wake of FIFA’s revised directive earlier this week, announcing that clubs can release players for AFCON duty by December 15, a week before the tournament kicks off in Morocco.
Initially, clubs were expected to release players on December 8.
Okoye, who has been in impressive form for Udinese this season, is widely expected to make Nigeria’s final AFCON 2025 squad under head coach Eric Chelle.
His departure will leave a notable gap in Udinese’s set-up as they prepare for a congested winter schedule.
Runjaic, speaking via the club’s official website, acknowledged the challenge of losing multiple players to international duty but noted that the team had long anticipated the development.
“We’re considering this issue. After Napoli, we’ll probably no longer have Rui Modesto, Okoye, Bayo, and Zemura, but we’ve known about it for some time,” the Udinese boss said.
The coach also provided updates on the squad’s immediate availability ahead of their upcoming league matches.
“Kamara won’t be available against Genoa; perhaps he’ll return against Napoli.
“We’re evaluating who to play on the wings, but it’s something that will become a reality after the Napoli match.
“For the Genoa match, everyone except Atta and Kamara is available.”
Okoye will depart for AFCON duty shortly after the Napoli fixture, linking up with the Nigerian national team as they push for a strong showing in Morocco.
The Super Eagles are expected to unveil their final tournament squad in the coming days.
