Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye produced a composed display as Udinese secured a 2-0 victory over Genoa in Serie A on Friday.
The 25-year-old helped his side to a seventh clean sheet of the season in a match where the scoreline did not reflect the pressure he faced, particularly in the first half.
Genoa began brightly and threatened early through Ruslan Malinovskyi, who fired over from distance before later striking the crossbar with a powerful free-kick. Moments afterwards, Lorenzo Colombo also hit the woodwork from close range, with Okoye beaten on both occasions.
Despite those scares, the Nigerian remained calm, organising his defence and maintaining his positioning as Udinese weathered sustained pressure before the break.
Okoye was called into action soon after half-time, producing a strong two-handed save to deny Junior Messias. Genoa were briefly awarded a penalty, but the decision was overturned following a VAR review by referee Giuseppe Collu.
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Udinese took control in the latter stages, with Jurgen Ekkelenkamp heading in the opener before Keinan Davis sealed the win in stoppage time.
Okoye finished with two saves, as well as key interventions that underlined his authority in goal during a testing encounter.
The performance comes at a crucial moment for Okoye ahead of Nigeria’s upcoming international fixtures.
The Nigeria national football team are set to face Jordan and Iran in friendlies in Turkey, with Okoye expected to play a leading role.
First-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali absent from the squad, the Udinese shot-stopper has an opportunity to establish himself as the team’s first-choice option under head coach Eric Chelle.
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Okoye’s recent form has been encouraging. He was recognised as the top goalkeeper in the league round following Udinese’s narrow defeat by Juventus last week, and has now followed that display with a clean sheet.
His last appearance for Nigeria came in a draw against Russia in 2025, and he was not part of the squad that finished third at the Africa Cup of Nations.
However, with renewed confidence and consistent performances at club level, Okoye appears to be rebuilding his international standing.
