Okoye Set to Return After Betting Ban

The 24-year-old Udinese goalkeeper was punished in July after Italian football authorities found him guilty of illegal betting linked to a Serie A clash against Lazio on March 11, 2024. During that game, Okoye was booked for time-wasting in the 64th minute. Investigators flagged suspicious betting activity around the yellow card, and wagers placed at 8/1 odds in the Udine region returning more than €120,000 in winnings.

Okoye escaped a harsher charge of sporting fraud – which could have ended his career for up to four years – but he was handed a two-month ban starting August 18, 2025.

The former Watford goalkeeper has since then missed seven matches, including league fixtures against Inter Milan and AC Milan, as well as Nigeria’s September World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and South Africa. He will also be absent for the Super Eagles’ decisive October qualifiers against Lesotho (Oct 10) and Benin (Oct 14).

Okoye’s final game on the sidelines will be Udinese’s Serie A match against Cagliari on October 5. He will be eligible to return for their trip to Cremonese on October 20, though his comeback may happen in December’s Coppa Italia Round of 16 against Juventus.

For Nigeria, his return in November is timely. The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in December and Okoye is a solid backup behind first-choice Stanley Nwabali.

Udinese, meanwhile, will welcome back his watch between the posts after conceding as many goals as they have scored during his absence.