Maduka Okoye under investigation for alleged scandal in Italy

16

Super Eagles and Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye is at the center of a betting scandal in Italy, with reports suggesting he is under investigation for allegedly betting on his own yellow card during a match against Lazio on March 11 of 2024.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the 25-year-old player is being investigated by the Udine prosecutor’s office for suspicious betting activities detected during the Lazio-Udinese match.

The controversy arises from Okoye’s 64th-minute booking for wasting time during a goal kick, an incident now suspected to have been part of a premeditated plan.

Prosecutors allege that Okoye intentionally attempted to receive the yellow card to benefit from a bet placed on that specific outcome. The suspicious betting activity was initially detected by Sisal, one of Italy’s leading betting companies, using an algorithm designed to monitor unusual patterns.

Preliminary investigations revealed that a verbal agreement may have been reached in a restaurant before being formalized at a Sisal betting outlet in Udine, a few days before the match.

Okoye, who underwent wrist surgery in November and is yet to return to action, has been a key figure for Udinese this season. Before his injury, he had recorded 25 saves, 16 of them from shots inside the area, the highest figure in Serie A at the time.

To cover his absence, Udinese recently signed goalkeeper Egil Selvik.

Okoye also returned to the Super Eagles in the AFCON 2025 qualifiers, his first call-up since 2022. It was a bitter comeback, however, as Nigeria fell 2-1 to Rwanda in Uyo after taking an early lead.

The investigation is ongoing and if found guilty, Okoye could face serious consequences both legally and professionally.