Maduka Okoye delivered a sensational performance to earn a place in the Serie A Team of the Week following Udinese Calcio’s emphatic 3-0 victory over AC Milan at the iconic San Siro.
The Nigerian goalkeeper was in outstanding form, making several crucial saves to preserve a clean sheet and secure a memorable win for the Zebras. Okoye denied clear chances from high-profile opponents including Luka Modric, Alexis Saelemaekers, and Youssouf Fofana.
The clean sheet marked Okoye’s third consecutive shutout—his first time achieving such a streak in his professional career—highlighting his growing importance to Udinese this season.
This latest recognition also represents the second time Okoye has been named in the Serie A Team of the Week this campaign, further underlining his consistency between the posts.
He was joined in the weekly selection by teammate Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, who also impressed during the match.
Udinese will look to build on this momentum when they host Parma Calcio 1913 at the Bluenergy Stadium this weekend.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
