Okoye steals show during F1 race

Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye made a surprise appearance at the Formula 1 British Grand Prix on Saturday, presenting the Pirelli Pole Position Award to rising Italian driver Kimi Antonelli at Silverstone, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The Udinese shot-stopper’s presence caught the attention of both Serie A and Formula 1 fans, but it was far from a coincidence.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Okoye is an avid Formula 1 fan and is attending the British Grand Prix as a guest of Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli.

In that capacity, the Nigerian international was selected by Pirelli to present Antonelli with the Pole Position Award after the Italian youngster secured yet another pole position.

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Antonelli, like Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner, has become one of the country’s biggest sporting attractions, with his performances continuing to dominate headlines in Italy.

Gazzetta also noted that Okoye’s own profile has risen significantly in recent weeks, with the goalkeeper’s Instagram following increasing from around 250,000 to more than 1.5 million, while he has also surpassed one million followers on TikTok.

This might not be unconnected to his viral admiration from women across different parts of the world.

Abiodun Adewale

Abiodun, who reports Sports for PUNCH, covers different tiers of the Nigerian football league, the national teams, as well as cricket, in the last six years

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