By our reporter 10.8.2026
Super Eagles and Udinese of Italy goalkeeper Maduka Okoye burst into international limelight when he was spotted with America rapper Cardi B during Paris Fashion Week in July.
The appearance with Cardi B sent the rumour mill into overdrive about a romance between the duo and thrusting Maduka Okoye into instant social media celebrity amassing two million followers on Instagram and TikTok.
Speaking to the UK Guardian Maduka Okoye maintained that he could live the world of football and fashion
“Being at the Paris fashion week was really impressive,” Okoye stated.
“It was my first time really coming into contact with high fashion, and it was fascinating. It’s a true art form. I enjoyed it immensely and since that moment, I’ve become a much bigger fan of fashion than I was before.”
Asked how he would be able to cope with the distractions he added: ““What happens off the pitch is one thing, what happens on the pitch is another.
“You have to separate the two. I never let these two worlds collide. Even though marketing and personal branding are part of the business today, at the end of the day I am a goalkeeper, and my main job is to protect my team’s goal. Outside football, I pursue things that matter to me but my priority and my work remain between the posts. These two worlds don’t overlap. What I do off the pitch has zero impact on what I do on it, and those two spheres will never cross.”
“I believe there is always room for improvement in every direction,” he says. “I’m very happy working here with a great goalkeeping staff. I’m on a good path, learning every day, and I can’t wait to show it on the pitch during the season.”
Cardi B and Maduka Okoye...sports and fashion life.