Super Eagles goalkeeper and Udinese shot-stopper, Maduka Okoye, has been handed a two-month ban from football after being found guilty of illegal betting activities tied to suspicious winnings worth over ₦214 million.
The ban, effective August 18, 2025, follows an investigation that linked Okoye and three associates to abnormal betting patterns surrounding a yellow card incident during a Serie A match against Lazio on March 11, 2024.
The investigation was triggered after Okoye received a 64th-minute booking for time-wasting, with his team leading 2–1. Authorities later discovered an unusual spike in bets on that specific event, generating over €120,000 in winnings — mostly placed in Udine, the home of Udinese.
Okoye and his friends were referred to the disciplinary commission in June 2025. Though there were concerns over a potential four-year ban for sporting fraud, the final ruling cleared him of match-fixing and convicted him solely for illegal betting, resulting in a shorter suspension.
Okoye’s suspension will start with Udinese’s Coppa Italia clash against Carrarese on August 18, sidelining him for the first six Serie A matches of the 2025/26 season. The 25-year-old will be eligible to return on October 19.
A former Watford player and capped 18 times by Nigeria, Okoye’s reputation now faces intense scrutiny just as the new season approaches — a critical period for both his club and the national team.
