Super Eagles and Udinese goalkeepee Maduka Okoye is under probe in Italy following his involvement in an alleged betting scandal.
According to Messaggero Veneto (via Foot Italia) the Udine Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into Okoye for allegedly betting on his own yellow card during a match against Lazio on March 11, 2024.
The incident in happened during the 64th minute of the game when Okoye received a yellow card for time-wasting during a goal kick.
His action has now been scrutinised as investigators suspect it may have been part of a premeditated scheme.
Posecutors are claiming that he deliberately sought to receive a booking to profit from a bet placed on that specific outcome.
Also, Diego Giordano, a 40-year-old owner of the popular Biffi pizzeria, has also been implicated in the case. The restaurant is known to be a frequent spot for Udinese players and staff.
The suspicious activity was initially flagged by Sisal, one of Italy’s leading betting companies, through an algorithm designed to detect unusual betting patterns.
Preliminary findings indicated that there may have been a verbal agreement made at the restaurant, which was later formalized at a Sisal betting point in the city just days before the Lazio-Udinese match.
Okoye, who had been enjoying a successful season with Udinese since joining the club on a four-year deal is currently out with a wrist injury.
His performances had been drawing plaudits with statistics showing he had made 25 saves this season, 16 of which were from shots inside the penalty area – the highest in Serie A at the time.
He made his return to the Super Eagles for the first time since 2022, when the three-time African champions hosted Rwanda on matchday 6 of the AFCON 2025 qualifier in Uyo.
However, he marked his return with defeat as the Rwandans came from a goal down to win 2-1.
1 Comment
Knowing the implications in what is involved, and he went to bet, then it’s bad. If he is found guilty then let him face the punishment . Footballers can be their own worse enemy. This is a player just coming back to the Super Eagles, now he has more issues of his own making if the story is true.