Nigerian singer, Tems found herself fielding questions about a possible romance with Super Eagles goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye during a red carpet interview at the 2026 BET Awards in Los Angeles, after fans online had spent weeks gushing over the footballer’s looks.

Responding to an interviewer who asked whether she would consider approaching Okoye, Tems made clear that the two were not acquainted, though she did not rule out the idea entirely. She explained that she knows who Okoye is but has never met him personally, adding that she wished the two had crossed paths.

The singer went further to describe how she generally views fellow Nigerian celebrities, saying she tends to see colleagues in the industry as family rather than as romantic prospects.

The question did not come out of nowhere. Okoye has been the subject of widespread online buzz in recent weeks, with fans across social media praising his looks and crowning him one of the most attractive footballers at the tournament. That attention appears to have followed him onto the red carpet circuit, with interviewers keen to get a reaction from one of Nigeria’s biggest music stars.

Clips of Tems’ response quickly made the rounds online, with the exchange generating plenty of conversation among fans who weighed in on how she handled the question. Okoye is yet to publicly react to the interview.

The BET Awards appearance came on a night that proved largely disappointing for African stars on the awards front, with Tems, Burna Boy, Wizkid and Tyla all leaving the ceremony without a win despite strong nominations across the board.

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