Nigeria and Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has been suspended for two months by the Italian Football Federation after being found guilty of violating betting regulations.
The sanction comes after a months-long investigation into suspicious betting activity surrounding Udinese’s 2–1 Serie A victory over Lazio on March 11, 2024.
According to Italian reports, including Football Italia and OneFootball, betting company Sisal flagged an unusually high volume of bets—worth over €120,000—placed in the Udine area, specifically predicting that Okoye would receive a yellow card.
The Super Eagles shot-stopper was indeed booked in the 64th minute of that match for time-wasting, prompting authorities to investigate the possibility of match-fixing.
Initial fears were that Okoye could be found guilty of sporting fraud, a serious offence in Italian football that carries a maximum ban of up to four years.
However, following thorough legal and disciplinary review, the Italian Football Federation ruled that although Okoye breached betting conduct codes, there was no evidence of deliberate match manipulation.
As such, the case was downgraded to a betting violation, leading to a two-month suspension, set to run from August 18 to October 19, 2025.
Okoye, who has been recovering from a wrist injury and was already left out of Udinese’s squad for the new Serie A season, is not allowed to feature in competitive matches during the suspension period.
However, he is permitted to train with his club and will be eligible to return to action once the ban is lifted.
This development has cast a shadow over the 24-year-old’s season and could influence his involvement in Nigeria’s upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.
Though not completely ruled out of future selections, his availability will depend on both fitness and form following the ban.
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