Maduka Okoye handed two-month suspension for match-fixing
Maduka Okoye
Maduka Okoye has been handed a two-month suspension on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, for his involvement in a match-fixing betting scandal. The Nigerian goalkeeper for Udinese Calcio was found guilty of deliberately earning a yellow card during a match against Lazio as part of a rigged betting scheme.
The 25-year-old player was suspended for two months by the Italian federal court following an investigation into cheating in a Serie A match. On March 11, 2024, during an away game at Lazio, Maduka Okoye received a yellow card in the 64th minute for time-wasting. While the incident appeared routine, it triggered an inquiry after an abnormal spike in bets specifically targeting that booking. Investigators discovered that a close friend of Okoye, who owns a pizzeria in Udine, wagered on the yellow card and pocketed over 120,000 euros.
The case was prosecuted by the federal prosecutor's office, which established that Maduka Okoye and his associates had an arrangement to influence the course of the match. Initially facing a possible four-year ban, the goalkeeper ultimately received a two-month suspension, starting from the first official match of the 2025-2026 season. He will be eligible to return to action from October 19.
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