Maduka Okoye backed by Daniele Padelli as Udinese goalkeeper faces criticism

Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has been defended by Udinese team-mate Daniele Padelli, who believes the Nigerian is being unfairly blamed for the club’s difficult run in Serie A.

Okoye has conceded 25 goals and recorded one clean sheet in 11 league appearances this season, a record that has led to strong criticism of the 26-year-old.

That scrutiny has intensified during the international break, which Okoye is spending away from the Super Eagles after being left out of Eric Chelle’s squad for the AFCON 2027 qualifying double-header against Tanzania.

Padelli, the experienced Italian goalkeeper, discussed Okoye’s situation on the TV12 programme, in comments carried by Udinese’s official website and translated by Soccernet.

The 40-year-old referred specifically to Udinese’s 6 November defeat by Venezia, a result that brought further attention to Okoye’s performance.

Padelli said Venezia goalkeeper Filip Stankovic had a greater influence on the outcome than his counterpart at the other end, effectively arguing that Stankovic’s contribution was decisive in settling the match.

His defence of Okoye also focused on the players in front of him. Udinese are currently relying on two young centre-backs who have made 20 Serie A appearances between them.

Padelli described the pair as strong players but said they could not reasonably be expected to take responsibility for leading the defence at this stage of their careers. He added that Udinese might only need one positive result to provide the lift required to change their momentum.

“It happened to me too,” Padelli said, drawing on his own experience of being made responsible for a team’s wider problems.

The figures remain concerning for Okoye, and he will know that reducing the number of goals conceded is important if he is to return to the Super Eagles squad.

However, Padelli’s comments highlight the wider circumstances at Udinese. The team have an inexperienced central defence, have changed manager from Kosta Runjaic to Paolo Zanetti, and are enduring a run that Padelli described as unlike anything he has previously experienced.

A young defence can expose a goalkeeper to more chances as well as more goals. That context does not remove responsibility from Okoye for every mistake, but it helps explain why a senior figure at the club has publicly supported him.

Okoye also remains part of the discussion over Nigeria’s goalkeeping position. The debate has shifted since Stanley Nwabali’s clean sheet sharpened the focus last week, although Okoye showed his quality again with a penalty save at Parma.

His next opportunity to respond to the criticism will come when Serie A resumes after the international break, with Zanetti responsible for selecting the Udinese side.