Okoye The Match Fixer: Super Eagles Star Bans In Italy

Maduka Okoye has been under investigation in Italy for gambling breaches and sporting fraud for the last few months

According to Soccernet.ng, Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has been banned for two months by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) for a violation of fair play.

News broke in January that Okoye was under investigation in Italy for alleged gambling breaches.

It was discovered that many punters in the Italian city of Udine, home of Udinese, staked on Okoye to get yellow-carded in the club’s Serie A fixture against Lazio on March 11, 2024 at the Stadio Olimpico.

That was just one of the two yellow cards he received that season, and it was just for time wasting. That raised suspicions that the Super Eagles star deliberately got carded.

The investigations have been on since the turn of the year. But meanwhile, Okoye, who has maintained his innocence, has been playing games.

However, on Tuesday, the FIGC ended their investigation and revealed their findings. They absolved Okoye from any gambling breaches or sporting fraud. But they handed the former Sparta Rotterdam star a two-month ban for “a violation of fair play”.

If Okoye had been found guilty of betting infractions, he would have been hit with a hefty four-year ban that would almost bring his career to an end.

Okoye’s ban does not start immediately though. It will begin on August 18, when competitive top-flight football resumes in Italy.

Although Maduka Okoye has been banned for two months, Udinese have come out to back him fully.

“The club expresses its satisfaction with the player’s proven complete non-involvement in the infamous match-fixing theory,” Udinese wrote on their website.

“The club can only reiterate its full support for Okoye, who awaits the ruling’s reasons. Udinese Calcio reiterates its full confidence in Maduka’s proper conduct.”

Okoye, who turns 26 on August 28, still has three years left on his contract at Udinese. He will look to bounce back strongly and reclaim his number 1 shirt at the end of the ban.