Udinese Coach Calls Out Okoye After Free-Kick Blunder

Udinese manager Kosta Runjaic commented on goalkeeper Maduka Okoye's performance following their tight 3-2 victory against Lecce.

Okoye, playing only his second game after a two-month ban, made a clear error on Medon Berisha's 58th-minute curling free-kick. The ball soared into the top corner, a shot Runjaic believes Okoye should have stopped.

"He knows he could have prevented the free kick. He could have managed to save that shot," Runjaic told the media, according to Tutto Udinese. The coach also criticized the defense for giving away the foul that led to the goal.

Runjaic emphasized the need for the team to stop making such costly errors, stating, “In the past we have paid dearly for this type of mistake because we have complicated our lives unnecessarily... We have to improve on this aspect.”

Despite the mistake, the German tactician defended Okoye's overall situation, pointing to his lack of match fitness ahead of their next match against Juventus. “We mustn’t forget that against Juve, Maduka will be playing his third game... There’s a big difference, but he’ll gradually get into his rhythm.”