Udinese’s Technical Director, Gianluca Nani, has heaped praises on Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, stating the Nigerian shot-stopper has been in such incredible form during training sessions that it was almost impossible to score against him.
Maduka Okoye made a welcome return to Udinese’s starting lineup for Monday night’s Serie A match against US Cremonese. The 24-year-old had been serving a suspension for the past two months due to betting-related issues.
During his absence, Romanian goalkeeper Razvan Sava filled in for the Italian side, featuring in the first six league games of the season. Okoye’s return to action was highly anticipated, and he did not disappoint, putting up a solid and confident performance despite his long layoff.
Nani, speaking after the match, revealed that Okoye’s training performances had been exceptional, making it nearly impossible for his teammates to find the back of the net during practice sessions.
Nani told DAZN: “Okoye has trained really well in recent weeks; it was almost impossible to score against him in training. We’re really happy he’s back because he’s our starting goalkeeper, and there were never any doubts. But I want to thank whoever replaced him, who did very well.”
Okoye, who joined Udinese from English side Watford, will now focus on reclaiming his position as Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper ahead of next month’s crucial World Cup qualifiers.
His recent form could put pressure on Stanley Nwabali, who has been the preferred option in recent international fixtures for the Super Eagles.
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