Super Eagles of Nigeria and Udinese Football Club of Italy goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, has been banned for two months for illegal betting.
According to Italian news outlet, Football Italia, on Tuesday the punishment follows an investigation into suspicious betting activity during Udinese’s 2-1 win over Lazio on March 11, 2024.
Okoye received a yellow card for time-wasting in the 64th minute, shortly before “a rush of suspicious betting activity” was flagged by authorities.
Most of the bets, placed at 8/1 odds and allegedly generating over €120,000 in winnings, were traced to the provinces of Udine.
Okoye was investigated alongside three friends and referred to the disciplinary commission in June 2025.
According to the report, it was feared he could be banned for four years if found guilty of sporting fraud, but the authorities opted only to convict him for the lesser charge of illegal betting.
This is significantly less than the feared result of the trial, in which he could’ve faced up to a four-year ban for sporting fraud.
The ban will begin with Udinese’s Coppa Italia fixture against Carrarese on August 18, 2025. He is set to miss six Serie A matches and is expected to return to action on October 19.
The 25-year-old, who has earned 18 caps for Nigeria, joined Udinese from Watford in 2023.
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