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AFCON 2025
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Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye received the suspension after he and three friends were investigated over ₦214 million in suspicious winnings
Maduka Okoye, Nigeria's national team goalkeeper and current Udinese shot-stopper, has been handed a two-month ban from football after being found guilty of illegal betting.
The ban, which takes effect from August 18, 2025, spares him a much heavier sanction that could have ruled him out for four years if convicted of sporting fraud.
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Suspicious yellow card sparks investigation
The incident that triggered the entire investigation occurred on March 11, 2024, during a Serie A clash between Udinese and Lazio.
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Okoye received a yellow card for time-wasting in the 64th minute with his side leading 2-1. Authorities flagged a wave of suspicious betting activity focused on that very event, with bets on the booking yielding over €120,000 (₦214,848,000) in winnings, most of them placed in and around Udine.
Following this, Okoye and three friends were investigated and later referred to the disciplinary commission in June 2025.
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While fears loomed over a possible four-year suspension for sporting fraud, the final ruling found him guilty only of illegal betting.
Okoye's ban to begin with Coppa Italia tie in August
The two-month suspension begins with Udinese’s Coppa Italia game against Carrarese on August 18, ruling Okoye out of the club’s first six Serie A fixtures of the 2025/26 season.
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The 25-year-old will be eligible to return on October 19. Okoye, who has earned 18 caps for Nigeria, joined Udinese in 2023 after a spell with Watford.
While the verdict closes the chapter on a worrying legal ordeal, it also casts a shadow over his reputation ahead of a crucial season for both club and country.