'We're not happy' - Super Eagles goalkeeper Okoye admits after Udinese's loss to Juventus

Following Udinese's 3–1 defeat to Juventus at the Allianz Stadium in a Serie A clash on Wednesday, Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye reflected on both his individual display and the team’s overall performance.

The game was finely balanced at half-time, with Nicolo Zaniolo cancelling out Dušan Vlahovic's early fifth minute penalty.

Federico Gatti restored Juventus' lead with a header in the 67th minute before Kenan Yildiz sealed the victory from the spot to hand the hosts all three points.

Despite the defeat, Okoye emerged as one of Udinese's standout performers, pulling off several outstanding saves to keep the scoreline respectable.

His most notable intervention came in the 45th minute when he produced a superb stop to deny Filip Kostic from distance.

Reflecting on the game, Okoye praised his teammates for their collective effort and highlighted the team's steady progress under manager Kosta Runjaic.

"We played well as a team. It's always tricky against Juventus," Okoye told the official website of Udinese.

"We're not happy but we know we played a good game. We'll take the positives and move on to the next one.

"We've all made progress together this season and it's the result of all our work. The coach is ambitious and we always want more."

The Nigeria international was recently reinstated into Udinese's starting lineup after spending two months on the sidelines due to a betting-related suspension, which ruled him out of the club’s opening eight matches of the campaign across all competitions.

Speaking about his journey back to full fitness and confidence, Okoye added: "I was out of the game for a while and it's always hard when you don't have football but the goalkeeping coaches and the other lads have always helped me. 

"I feel good and I'm happy. I want to keep growing and learn something new every day."

Since returning to action, Okoye is yet to record a clean sheet, having conceded six goals in three appearances.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle is expected to keep a close eye on the 26-year-old's performances in Italy as he prepares to name his final squad for the upcoming 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifying playoff against Gabon.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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