Maduka Okoye Banned for Two Months Over Betting Scandal in Italy
Nigeria and Udinese goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye has been handed a two-month suspension by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) over alleged involvement in a betting-related misconduct during a Serie A match against Lazio in the 2023/2024 season.
The 24-year-old was found guilty of deliberately seeking a yellow card to manipulate betting outcomes — an action flagged by investigators after abnormal betting patterns were detected during the fixture.
According to an official statement from FIGC’s National Federal Tribunal, Okoye’s conduct constituted sporting misconduct. The disciplinary panel ruled that the act was intentionally carried out to influence the betting market.
“The National Federal Tribunal, Disciplinary Section, definitively ruling, imposes on Mr Emil Maduka Okoye the sanction of two (2) months of disqualification in official matches, starting from the beginning of the first official competition of the 2025/2026 sporting season,” the tribunal stated on Tuesday.
The ban, which takes effect from the start of the 2025/2026 campaign, will see Okoye miss six competitive matches including Udinese’s Coppa Italia opener against Carrarese on August 18 and the club’s first five Serie A games. He will be eligible to return to action on October 19 when Udinese travel to face newly promoted Cremonese.
The ruling has sparked widespread reactions in both Italy and Nigeria, raising renewed concerns about the growing influence of illegal betting syndicates on professional football and the integrity of players involved.
Okoye, who once held the position of Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper and featured in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, has not issued any public statement regarding the ban. His international form has been under scrutiny since the tournament, with critics pointing to a string of inconsistent performances and reduced club appearances.
The suspension now further clouds his future with the Super Eagles and casts doubt on whether he can reclaim a regular starting role for either club or country.
The scandal adds to a growing list of high-profile cases where professional players have been implicated in betting misconduct, with analysts calling for stricter monitoring and education within the sport.
