Okoye denied 8th clean sheet in stoppage time

Nigeria goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye bid for his eighth clean sheet for Sparta Rotterdam in 21 Dutch Eredivise games was thwarted by Heracles‘, BSNSports.com.ng reports. Rai Vloet who scored a 93rd minute equaliser for the host in their 1-1 draw at the Erve Asito on Sunday evening. The Super Eagles goalie who shut out VVV-Venlo and RKC Waalwijk strikers in Sparta’s last two games was aiming to make it three clean sheets in a row for the first time in his debut season in the Dutch top-flight but was made to rue another last-gasp goal by their host. Early this month, a 96th minute penalty by Michael de Leeuw for FC Emmen at the De Oude Meerdijk denied the Nigerian the chance for a sixth clean sheet at the time with the game ending 1-1 after Sparta had opened scoring in the first half through a Laros Duarte right footed shot. Okoye is now expected to leave Holland for Lagos where the Super Eagles will be preparing for their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games against Benin Republic in Port Novo on March 27 and against Lesotho at the Teslim Balogun stadium on March 30. The Sparta goalkeeper has kept one clean sheet in five appearances for Nigeria and will be hoping for two more clean sheets as he bids to cement his place as Nigeria’s number one.