Okoye Saves Udinese From Defeat, Named Man Of The Match Against Parma

Nigeria goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was the hero for Udinese after producing a crucial penalty save in their away draw against Parma, earning the Player of the Match award.

The Super Eagles goalkeeper’s decisive intervention helped Udinese end their run of defeats, with teammate Nicolò Zaniolo praising him for repeatedly coming to the team’s rescue.

Speaking to DAZN after the final whistle, Okoye said Udinese were eager to collect maximum points but had to settle for one on the road.

‘We always want to win and we need points. Today we took one and that’s fine, now we immediately head to the next one,’ Okoye said.

Reflecting on his penalty save, the Nigerian described it as an instinctive reaction.

‘The save on the penalty was pure instinct,’ he said, while acknowledging that injuries and the absence of key players had contributed to the team’s difficulties.

‘In these games we were unlucky, then we missed players like Zaniolo, whose importance we saw today,’ he added.

Zaniolo, who returned to the starting line-up, was equally appreciative of Okoye’s contribution and described the goalkeeper as both a superb player and a good person.

‘It’s not the first time Maduka has saved us. I love him, he is a good person and a fantastic goalkeeper,’ Zaniolo said.

The Italian forward added that the point earned away from home was important in improving Udinese’s position in the standings, but stressed that the team must now turn its attention to their next fixture against Roma.

Zaniolo admitted that Udinese had endured a difficult start to the season, attributing their struggles partly to injuries and costly mistakes.

However, he remained optimistic about the team’s prospects, insisting that there was still enough time to turn their campaign around.

‘The road is long and with the full team we can have a great season,’ he said.