The Italian Football Federation has given Maduka Okoye, the goalkeeper for Udinese and Super Eagles, a two-month suspension (FIGC).
Maduka Okoye was banned after being found guilty of a contentious betting-related incident that occurred during the 2023–2024 Serie A season.
Following his alleged incitement to a yellow card during a match against Lazio, Okoye, 24, was found guilty of sporting misconduct. According to investigators, unusual betting activity at that specific point in the game may have impacted the action.
Okoye “intentionally committed an act” to manipulate the outcome of bets placed on the match, according to the FIGC’s investigation, which was conducted in response to irregular betting patterns.
The ban was confirmed by the National Federal Tribunal’s Disciplinary Section of the Federation in a statement issued on Tuesday.
According to the verdict, “Mr. Emil Maduka Okoye is definitively sanctioned by the National Federal Tribunal, Disciplinary Section, to be disqualified from official matches for two (2) months, beginning from the first official competition of the 2025/2026 sporting season,”
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On August 18, Udinese will play Carrarese in the Coppa Italia, the team’s first competitive encounter of the new season. Okoye will miss five more Serie A games as a result of his ban. He should be eligible again by October 19, when Udinese travels to play Cremonese.
Since the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Maduka Okoye, Nigeria’s former first-choice goalkeeper, has had difficulty staying consistent. Due to his inconsistent play, this most recent development may make his future with Udinese and the Nigerian national team even more uncertain.
In reaction to the suspension, Okoye has not yet made a public statement as of this writing.
