Nigeria’s Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has been voted Sparta Rotterdam player of the year.
Okoye helped the Dutch side to eighth place in the Eredivisie last season with his amazing performances between the sticks recording 10 clean sheets in 29 league appearances midway through the season.
The 21-year-old received the award from ex-Sparta Rotterdam midfielder and coach Henk van Stee on Wednesday morning before he joined the team’s training.
“Supporters of Sparta Rotterdam were given the opportunity to vote for their Player of the Season, an election that was won by Maduka Okoye,” the club statement read.
“The goalkeeper, who played 28 league games and managed to keep his goal clean 10 times, received the prize this morning from Henk van Stee.”
Their eighth-place finish in the Eredivisie enabled the Castle Lords to participate in the Europa Conference League play-offs but they eventually lost to Feyenoord who sealed the sole qualification ticket.
In October, 2019, Okoye made his debut for the Super Eagles of Nigeria against Brazil in Singapore, after replacing the injured Francis Uzoho in the game that ended 1-1.
The German-born shot-stopper has since become the Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper having played in six of their last seven matches, and most recently featured in their double-header friendly against Cameroon in Austria.
