Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye shines for Sparta

The Super Eagles’ shot-stopper carried his fine performance for Nigeria against Sierra Leone in Freetown to his club on Sunday as the rampant hosts humbled their struggling visitors

Days after keeping a clean sheet for the Super Eagles in Freetown, Maduka Okoye delivered another excellent display to help Sparta Rotterdam thrash ADO Den Haag 6-0 in the Eredivisie’s Game week nine encounter at the Sparta-Stadion Het Kasteel.

The home side had to wait until the 43rd-minute before breaking the deadlock thanks to a fine Lennart Thy strike.

But Mijnans opened the floodgates barely eight minutes after the restart, and the duo of Harroui and Thy added further goals in the space of five minutes to hand Sparta some breathing space.

A pair of Mario Engels goals late on then sealed the hosts’ second win of the season.

Okoye has now led Sparta Rotterdam to two victories in his last two outings, with the club not tasting a win in any of their previous seven matches this campaign.

Dutch coach Hendrikus Fraser made compatriot Benjamin van Leer his first-choice goalkeeper at the beginning of the season. However, after six matches without a win, Okoye was given his first opportunity between the sticks against Heerenveen on November 1.

The 21-year-old conceded four goals as Heerenveen secured a 4-1 win.

But the youngster continued in goal and repaid the manager’s trust by keeping a clean sheet on November 7 in a 2-0 triumph over RKC Waalwijk.

With this latest victory over ADO Den Haag, Sparta climb to 10th on the league table, boasting nine points from nine games.