THESE are definitely not the best of times for Sparta Rotterdam Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.
The rising shot stopper had an amazing career progress in 2020, when he joined Dutch Eredivisie side Sparta from the second team of Bundesliga 2 side Fortuna Dusseldorf.
On arrival in Rotterdam, Okoye quickly got to business, displacing Dutchmen Tim Coremans and Benjamin van Leer to the club’s No.1 jersey and churning out fine performances week-in-week-out.
He won Sparta’s Player of the Season award last term for a string of stellar performances, helping his side claim an eighth-place finish in the league.
The 6ft 6in keeper’s consistent displays for both club and country saw him linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
English Premier League clubs Crystal Palace, Southampton and Watford were also interested in the young shot stopper.
Eventually, Okoye chose Watford ahead of the others for £6m late last year, but remained at Sparta, on loan till the end of the season.
“Watford, with (owner) Gino Pozzo, simply convinced me. I will fight for (my place) and give everything to be the number one. I believe in the quality of the team and I pray and hope they stay in (the Premier League),” the 22-year-old said after sealing the deal.
The Hornets were also happy to have grabbed the keeper amid interests from other suitors.
The club said, “Watford FC is pleased to announce that it has reached agreement to sign highly-rated young goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, on a five-and-a-half year deal that will begin on January 1, 2022. Welcome to Watford, Maduka!”
And Okoye joined Watford hoping to be a Premier League goalkeeper in 2022/23, but now, he could be about to suffer the ignominy of seeing both his parent club and his loan club relegated in the same season.
OKOYE’S FATE
Sparta sit 17th in the 18-team Eredivisie, amassing just 17 points from 22 games. Okoye managed three clean sheets in the Dutch topflight, conceding 27 goals in 18 games.
It’s the same situation in the EPL. Watford’s 2-0 home defeat to Brighton on Saturday leaves the Hornets just one point and one place off the bottom. What’s more, it’s now 16 defeats in their last 20 games.
The Hornets are languishing in 19th position with 15 points from 23 games, but bottom-place Burnley have 14 points, and two games outstanding, meaning Watford can replace them at the foot of the table, if the Clarets take advantage of their outstanding games.
Unless manager Roy Hodgson, who replaced Claudio Ranieri following a run of poor results, re-enacts the remarkable impact he made at Fulham in the 2007/08 season – guiding a seemingly doomed side clear of the relegation zone – then Okoye’s prayers will go unanswered.
And that means he would have been relegated to the Championship without having to let in a goal!
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