Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has been handed a two-month suspension by the Italian National Federal Tribunal following his alleged involvement in a betting-related misconduct during a Serie A match last season, Bold Sports reports.
The Udinese shot-stopper was found guilty of deliberately receiving a yellow card during a league game against Lazio on March 11, 2024, triggering what Italian authorities described as an “abnormal flow of bets.”
The 24-year-old was booked for time-wasting in the 63rd minute of the match, but the incident was flagged after unusual betting patterns emerged around the caution.
According to Sky Sport Italia, investigations revealed that the yellow card was not coincidental, leading to charges of sporting misconduct. Okoye, who joined Udinese in 2023, has denied any wrongdoing, but the disciplinary panel proceeded with the sanction.
More Read
The ban will be enforced from the start of the 2025/2026 season and covers all official competitions. As it stands, Okoye will miss Udinese’s Coppa Italia clash against Carrarese on August 18, as well as the first six Serie A matches of the campaign. He is expected to return to action on October 19, when Udinese visit Cremonese.
This suspension marks a major setback for the former Sparta Rotterdam goalkeeper, who had been regaining form at Udinese and was recently recalled to Nigeria’s national team setup.
© Bold Sports Media. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
