Maduka Okoye earns praise from Udinese boss after Coppa Italia clean sheet

Udinese head coach Kosta Runjaic has hailed Maduka Okoye after the Nigerian goalkeeper made a successful return from injury in the Coppa Italia clash against Padova.

Okoye was handed a starting role despite missing the entirety of Udinese's pre-season because of a shoulder injury, but the Super Eagles goalkeeper showed little sign of rust as he helped his team secure a 1-0 victory at the Bluenergy Stadium.

Keinan Davis scored the decisive goal in the 35th minute, but Okoye's assured performance at the other end ensured Udinese held on to their narrow advantage and booked their place in the next round.

For Okoye, the match represented an important first competitive appearance after his lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Rather than easing him back into action gradually, Runjaic trusted the Nigerian from the start, and the goalkeeper responded with a clean sheet.

The Udinese boss was pleased with what he saw but stressed that there is still plenty of work to do as the season progresses.

“Okoye was playing his first game back from injury and kept a clean sheet,” Runjaic told Udinese's official website.

He added, “The overall record is good, but we don’t want to get too excited; we need to stay focused ahead of the Como match.”