Maduka Okoye Banned for Betting Misconduct

Udinese and Super Eagles goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, has been handed a two-month suspension by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) over his involvement in a betting-related misconduct.

The 24-year-old was found guilty of deliberately earning a yellow card during a Serie A match against Lazio in the 2023/2024 season — an incident that triggered suspicion due to abnormal betting patterns surrounding the game.

According to the FIGC’s National Federal Tribunal, Okoye was sanctioned for intentionally influencing the outcome of betting markets, a violation categorized as sporting misconduct.

The ruling, confirmed on Tuesday, stated:

> “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.”