By Edward Oseghe
Nigeria’s Super Eagles goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, has been handed a two-month suspension from football after being found guilty of illegal betting.
The Udinese shot-stopper was sanctioned following an investigation into suspicious winnings amounting to ₦214 million, which he shared with three friends.
The ban, which takes effect from August 18, 2025, spares Okoye a much heavier punishment that could have seen him ruled out of football for up to four years if he had been convicted of sporting fraud.
The investigation stemmed from an incident on March 11, 2024, during a Serie A fixture between Udinese and Lazio. Okoye received a yellow card for time-wasting in the 64th minute, with his side leading 2-1.
Authorities flagged a surge in betting activity specifically on that event, resulting in payouts exceeding €120,000 (₦214,848,000), most of which were placed in and around Udine.
Following months of enquiries, Okoye and his three friends were referred to the disciplinary commission in June 2025. While prosecutors initially sought a four-year ban on charges of sporting fraud, the final ruling on Monday found him guilty only of illegal betting.
As a result, the 25-year-old will miss Udinese’s Coppa Italia clash against Carrarese on August 18 and the club’s first six Serie A matches of the 2025/26 season.
He will become eligible to return to action on October 19.
Okoye, who has 18 caps for Nigeria, joined Udinese in 2023 after a spell at Watford. While the verdict ends a troubling legal saga for the goalkeeper, it casts a shadow over his reputation ahead of a pivotal season for both club and country.
