Super Eagles legend Austin Jay-Jay Okocha has expressed dissatisfaction with the treatment of Maduka Okoye in the national team.

Okoye, who was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, has not featured for the national team since the team’s exit from the tournament at the hands of Tunisia in the knockout stage.

Despite being the only Nigerian goalkeeper in Europe’s top five leagues, Okoye went on a self-imposed hiatus from international football coupled with injury concerns.

He accepted a recall recently, but ruled himself out of the Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, to focus on his club career.

Meanwhile, Okocha raised concerns about player management in the national team and questioned the decision to exclude Okoye.

“He is the one that has the type of training and football upbringing that we need in a goalkeeper in the national team. But he is excluded. It’s strange,” Okocha said, per Osasu Obayiuwana.

“The way he was handled (after the Round of 16 game against Tunisia) talks about the quality of player management in the national team.”