Udinese coach Kosta Runjaic has drawn attention to Maduka Okoye’s form ahead of tonight’s Serie A trip to Turin, Footynaija.com reports.
Okoye returned from a two month ban earlier this month, and has played twice since. The second game showed some rust, and now he faces Juventus in what will be his biggest test since returning.
In Udinese’s 3–2 win over Lecce on October 25, 2025, one of the Salentini’s goals came from a free kick that Okoye could not stop, and it reopened questions about his rhythm.
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Speaking in his pre match media session ahead of the Juventus match, Runjaic admitted that Okoye still has work to do. He believes the Super Eagles goalkeeper could have done better with the free kick and stressed the need for the team to handle such situations more carefully.
“[Maduka] knows he could have prevented the free kick,” Runjaic said, as quoted by Tuttoudinese.
“He could have saved that shot. Berisha kicked very hard, and we should have cleared the ball earlier without conceding that foul to them.”
The German coach went on to warn that repeated lapses in focus could cost Udinese in big matches, just like they did last season.
“We have paid dearly for these kinds of mistakes in the past because we have made life difficult for ourselves unnecessarily,” Runjaic continued.
“Against Juve last year, Solet attempted a dribble, lost the ball, and we conceded. We need to improve on this aspect.”
Runjaic also gave perspective on Okoye’s current state. The Nigerian, he said, is still rebuilding sharpness after the long layoff.
“We must not forget that against Juve, Maduka will be playing his third game and for us it will be our ninth,” the coach added.
“There is a big difference, but he will gradually get into his rhythm.”
Okoye, 26, served a two month suspension earlier this year following a betting-related breach. He made his comeback on October 20, 2025 in a 1-1 draw away to Cremonese, and Udinese’s management have backed him through the recovery phase.
As for Juventus, the stakes are high. The Turin club are trying to avoid losing three consecutive Serie A games for the first time since April 2023, following defeats to Lazio and Inter Milan.
