Okoye faces more trouble, unlikely to be called up for WCQ

Posted : 06 February 2025

Italian Serie A side Udinese has submitted their squad for the second half of the 2024-2025 season following the closure of the January transfer window. Notably, Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has been left off the list of players eligible to feature in the Italian top division, meaning he will not play competitive football at the club level for the remainder of the season.

Okoye's exclusion from the squad comes after his involvement in a betting controversy, which led to an investigation by Italian authorities. The Nigerian goalkeeper was allegedly under scrutiny after receiving a yellow card during a match, drawing the attention of the Udine Public Prosecutor's Office.

The investigation was triggered by a report from Sisal, a prominent Italian gambling company, which raised concerns over a series of suspicious bets. One such bet, involving a significant amount of money, was linked to Okoye's yellow card during Udinese's 2-1 victory over Lazio. The incident occurred in the 64th minute of the match when Okoye was cautioned for time-wasting.

This controversy has led to further scrutiny, and Okoye has been sidelined since early December due to a wrist injury that required surgery. Despite his absence from the pitch, Okoye has been training with his teammates at Udinese, but he will not make his return in the upcoming match against Napoli.

With his season effectively over and the ongoing investigation, Okoye's chances of being called up to the Super Eagles squad for the March 2025 FIFA World Cup qualifiers are slim. Nigeria is set to face Rwanda and Zimbabwe in their qualifying matches, but Okoye's involvement now seems highly unlikely due to his current situation.

Okoye’s absence from both the club and national team raises concerns about his immediate footballing future. The investigation into his actions during the match against Lazio could have serious implications, leaving both Udinese and the Nigerian football authorities to wait for further developments.

While Okoye continues to recover from his injury, the focus now shifts to how the situation unfolds with the ongoing legal investigations. His return to competitive action may depend on the outcome of this case and his ability to regain match fitness in the coming months.

Okoye faces more trouble, unlikely to be called up for WCQ

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