Maduka Okoye, the goalie for Udinese and Super Eagles, has been suspended for two months by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).
The suspension of Maduka Okoye follows a disciplinary decision connected to a contentious betting-related event that occurred during the 2023–2024 Serie A season.
In a match against Lazio, Okoye, 24, was accused of provoking a yellow card and was later found guilty of sporting misconduct. According to investigators, the move was impacted by unusual betting activity at that specific point in the game.
After being prompted by anomalous betting trends, the FIGC’s inquiry found that Okoye “intentionally committed an act” to influence the results of wagers made on the game.
The ban was confirmed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the National Federal Tribunal’s Disciplinary Section of the Federation.
“Mr. Emil Maduka Okoye has been definitively ruled 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,” the ruling said.
Read Also: Transfer: Arsenal Seal Deal to Sign Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting CP
In addition to missing five further Serie A games, Okoye’s suspension is scheduled to start on August 18, when Udinese plays Carrarese in the Coppa Italia, the team’s first competitive encounter of the new season. By October 19, when Udinese go to play Cremonese, he should be eligible again.
Be aware that since the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Maduka Okoye, who was formerly Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper, has had difficulty staying consistent. His performance has been inconsistent, and this new development may make things more difficult for him going forward with Udinese and the Nigerian national team.
Okoye has not yet responded to the ban in a public statement as of this writing.
