Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has apologised to fans, teammates, and the Udinese management after his early red card destabilised the team and contributed to a heavy 5-1 defeat to Fiorentina on Sunday.
Okoye was sent off in the eighth minute following a dangerous challenge on Fiorentina striker Moise Kean, with referee Maurizio Mariani showing a straight red card without the need for Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervention.
The impact of the dismissal was felt almost immediately, as Fiorentina capitalised on their numerical advantage and scored four goals past substitute goalkeeper Nicolo Fortini. Rolando Mandragora opened the scoring in the 21st minute, Albert Guðmundsson doubled the lead in the 42nd minute, while Cher Ndour made it 3–0 in the fifth minute of first-half added time.
Fiorentina extended their advantage shortly after the break, with Moise Kean scoring in the 56th minute. Udinese pulled one back through Oumar Solet in the 66th minute, but Kean completed the rout three minutes later to seal a 5–1 victory for the hosts.
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Reacting after the match, Okoye took to Snapchat to express his regret over the incident. “I’m sorry, Bianconeri,” the Nigerian international wrote.
Okoye, who was expected to be part of the Super Eagles squad for the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, had earlier opted out of the team amid reports he was uncomfortable playing second fiddle to first-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
The red card could see Okoye sidelined for up to three matches in Serie A, with the goalkeeper expected to miss Udinese’s final game of the year against Lazio on December 27.
The victory marked Fiorentina’s first win of the Serie A season after 16 rounds, having previously recorded nine defeats and six draws.
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