Maduka Okoye: Nigeria keeper urges focus at Udinese after four straight Serie A losses

Nigeria Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has stressed the need for club side Udinese to finish the Serie A season on a high after enduring a tough weekend at home to AC Milan.

Okoye, who missed Nigeria’s final squad for the double 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers last month, allowed four goals against the Rossoneri in a 4-0 defeat last Friday at the Friuli Stadium in a Week 32 clash. The defeat to the giants was Udinese’s fourth straight in the Serie A this season.

Okoye, who has enjoyed a resurgence in Italy following a difficult spell at Watford, believes the team must regroup and focus on finishing inside the top half of the table.

Despite the recent struggles for points, the team remains safe from relegation and currently sits 11th on the Serie A table with 40 points level with Torino.

Speaking to TuttoUdinese, Okoye acknowledged the poor results but remained optimistic about a strong end to the season.

“The goal is to maintain tenth place, we need to regain our heads and strength. We are angry, but in the four defeats we had some opportunities, there are many things that we did well and we need to start again from those,” he said.

Okoye has featured in 19 league matches for Udinese this season, keeping three clean sheets. Udinese’s remaining fixtures offer them a chance to bounce back, with games against Torino, Bologna, Cagliari, Monza, Juventus, and Fiorentina.

The 25-year-old will look to keep his performance at a high level to increase his chances of returning to the Super Eagles squad for the Unity Cup in May which features Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and rivals Ghana.