Samuel Olusegun Precious
Super Eagles and Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has entered elite celebrity dating after American rap superstar Cardi B confirmed her growing relationship with the Nigerian shot-stopper.
The Grammy-winning rapper and the 27-year-old goalkeeper have been sparking dating rumours since July 2026, after being spotted together at the Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter Haute Couture show during Paris Fashion Week, where Okoye was seen escorting Cardi B to her front-row seat.
The pair were later seen chatting closely on a balcony at the Messika Collection Haute Joaillerie showcase, before being spotted again in Venice at a waterfront dinner at the St. Regis, and later in Milan during Milan Fashion Week in September.
In her recent Vogue Arabia cover story for September 2026, Cardi B finally opened up about Okoye, describing him as “really sweet and very kind.””When you see him on social media, he looks very strict, stern, but he is very kind,” Cardi said. When asked if fans should expect to see more of him, she giggled and replied: “I hope so.”
The repeated sightings across three cities – Paris, Venice and Milan – sent social media into frenzy, with fans joking about the crossover between one of the world’s biggest rap stars and Nigeria’s “too handsome” goalkeeper.
Okoye, who was born in Düsseldorf to a Nigerian father and German mother, stands at 6ft 6in and has become a regular at high-profile fashion events, including F1 and Paris Fashion Week, alongside his football career.
Neither Cardi B nor Okoye had initially confirmed romance, but sources close to the pair say they have been spending more time together, with Cardi reportedly in Italy around Udinese’s Coppa Italia fixture against Venezia.The development comes months after Cardi filed for divorce from Offset in July 2024 and briefly dated NFL star Stefon Diggs.For Okoye, the spotlight is both on and off the pitch.
The goalkeeper arrived in Uyo late for Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, after missing initial camp days due to club marketing commitments – a delay that had triggered backlash following his Milan sighting with Cardi.
As of now, the pair are the latest Naija-meets-Hollywood love story making global headlines.
