Okoye was initially invited for the Dream Team’s qualifying game against Libya in March 2019, but his club blocked him from travelling.
The 20-year-old eventually made his senior debut, when the Super Eagles took on Brazil in October 2019.
Maduka Okoye who started the game on the bench, came on for the injured Francis Uzoho in the second half.
“It was easy to choose playing for Nigeria, I never dreamed of playing for Germany, always wanted to play for Nigeria, so when I got the call, the first one for the U23 team, this was the dream, this is my fatherland, it was easy, however, I was not released by the club for the U23s,” Okoye said on Instagram Live,
“It was an unbelievable moment playing for Nigeria against Brazil, it was amazing I could talk about that for two hours.
“When the coach called me to get ready, I was on fire, hot, but also nervous because you are playing for your country, this is not playing for a club, that is also good, but you cannot compare playing for the country.”
Maduka Okoye was in line to make his competitive debut against Sierra Leone, before the COVID-19 outbreak forced the games to be postponed.
