Super Eagles Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye Banned Two Months for Illegal Betting

Super Eagles and Udinese shot-stopper, Maduka Okoye, has been handed a two-month suspension by Italian football authorities after being found guilty of illegal betting activities.

The 25-year-old Nigerian international will be sidelined from August 18 to October 19, 2025, missing the start of the 2025/2026 Serie A season and Udinese’s Coppa Italia campaign.

According to Football Italia, the case arose from suspicious betting patterns linked to Udinese’s 2-1 win over Lazio on March 11, 2024. Okoye was booked for time-wasting in the 64th minute, sparking unusual bets predicting he would receive a yellow card.

Investigations revealed that over €120,000 in winnings were collected from bets placed at 8/1 odds, with the majority traced to the Udine area. This triggered a deeper probe into Okoye and three of his associates, who were referred to the disciplinary commission in June 2025.

While initial concerns suggested he could face a four-year ban for sporting fraud, the authorities settled on the lesser charge of illegal betting.

Okoye, who joined Udinese from English side Watford in 2023, has since made several appearances for the Italian club and has 18 caps with Nigeria’s national team.

In his absence, Udinese is expected to rely on Romanian goalkeeper Razvan Sava, rather than signing a new replacement. Okoye’s ban begins with Udinese’s Coppa Italia tie against Carrarese on August 18 and includes six Serie A matches before he returns to action on October 19.