NIGERIAN goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, currently with Serie A club Udinese, is under investigation by Italian authorities for alleged involvement in a betting scandal.
The inquiry centres on suspicious betting patterns related to a yellow card he received during Udinese’s 2-1 victory over Lazio on March 11, 2024, according to reports from Italian media.
If found guilty, Okoye could face a lengthy ban from all football-related activities, as Italian regulations impose severe penalties for athletes directly involved in manipulating match events.
The ICIR reports that football governing bodies, including FIFA and UEFA, maintain a zero-tolerance for betting violations.
Players, coaches, and officials are strictly prohibited from betting on matches or competitions worldwide, regardless of whether they are directly involved in the games.
Violations can result in severe sanctions, including lengthy suspensions, hefty fines, and even lifetime bans.
In countries like Italy, the Intalian Football Federation (FIGC) strictly enforces anti-betting rules under the Codice di Giustizia Sportiva. Players found guilty of betting offenses risk multi-year bans and damage to their professional reputation.
Article 24 of the Code of Sports Justice states that it prohibits “the subjects of the federal system, managers, members, and members of clubs belonging to the professional sector from making or accepting bets, directly or indirectly, even from persons authorised to receive them, which have as their object results relating to official matches organised within the framework of the FIGC, FIFA, and UEFA.”
According to reports, the Udine Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated the investigation following a complaint from betting agency Sisal, whose algorithm detected unusual gambling activities linked to Okoye’s booking for time-wasting in the 90th minute of the match.
Subsequently, investigators conducted a search of Okoye’s residence.
While Udinese has not officially spoken on the allegations, the club has reportedly removed Okoye from their registered players list for the remainder of the Serie A season.
When asked about the incident, the Udinese coach Kosta Runjaic said ahead of their Monday, January 20, clash against Como, that “We haven’t talked about it. We’re focused on Como.
“I’m very present in the locker room; maybe the lads talked about it among themselves, but I can’t know that. I’m the coach and I like to talk about formations, football, tactics. The atmosphere is still very good; the team spirit is there, and we’re working diligently and with intensity,” Punch quoted the coach to have said.
His removal might also be due to a wrist injury, which may sideline him for the rest of the season.
Okoye, joined Udinese in 2023 from English club Watford and has made 37 appearances for the Italian side.
The goalkeeper’s legal representatives have dismissed the allegations as baseless, maintaining that they lack substantial evidence.
Meanwhile, the case has attracted significant attention in Nigeria, as many Nigerians hope he is proven innocent.
Recall that Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali was in October 2023, banned from football for 10 months over breaches of rules on betting on matches in Italy.
The Italy midfielder Tonali, who joined Newcastle from AC Milan in 2023, was ruled out of the remainder of the club season and the Euro 2024 tournament in June and July.
The 23-year-old was discovered to have placed bets on matches involving his former club, AC Milan, prior to his £56 million ($67.7 million) transfer to Saudi-owned Newcastle, a deal that set the record as the most expensive for an Italian player in history.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M