Super Eagles goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, is set to return to football action for Italian Serie A club, Udinese, after completing a duration of match ban over betting scandal.
Okoye was slammed with a two-month suspension by the Italian authorities after being found culpable of deliberately receiving a yellow card during Udinese’s Serie A away match against Lazio on March 11, 2024, which was reportedly linked to a betting scheme.
The authorities, after a thorough investigation scheduled the ban to start from August 18, meaning the short stopper is eligible to feature for the Biaconeri side’s next league fixture.
Okoye’s fellow teammate and fellow goalkeeper, Daniele Padelli, confirmed the news during the Udinese Tonight weekly football saying, “Maduka has remained focused and in excellent shape throughout his suspension. He’s been training hard, as if he was playing every week, maybe even more than before.
“He used the time to work on small details. Now that the suspension is over, it’s up to the coach to decide who starts. The only sure thing is that I’ll drop further down the pecking order. Maduka has a strong personality, he doesn’t let pressure get to him.”
His return, after missing six weeks of action comes as a timely boost for Udinese, who have struggled for consistency in goal since his absence.
