Maduka Okoye Makes Long-Awaited Return to the Pitch

Maduka Okoye, the goalkeeper for the Super Eagles, finally had his debut match for Udinese in the Coppa Italia round of 32 clash against Cagliari on Wednesday, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

This game marked Okoye’s first appearance in 14 months after he signed a four-year contract with the Italian club during the summer.

During the previous season, the 23-year-old player spent one year at Watford but only played in two matches after joining from Sparta Rotterdam in the Eredivisie last year.

Prior to the match on Wednesday, Okoye’s last club game was on August 23, 2022, when Watford suffered a 2-0 loss to MK Dons in the second round of the Carabao Cup.

At one point, Okoye was the number one goalkeeper for the Eagles, but his time with the national team was marred by costly mistakes and threats to his life.

Moreover, his lack of playing time at Watford last season negatively affected his chances with the Eagles.

Although the 23-year-old was recently called up to the Eagles for friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique last month, he did not get a chance to play.

For his next match, Okoye hopes to remain in goal for the Zebrette when they face AC Milan in a Serie A game at Sansiro on Saturday. He is determined to secure a spot in the Nigeria squad for the AFCON in January.