Maduka Okoye says football is his life after Udinese begin Serie A season with Como draw

Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye said football is “my passion” and “my life” after helping Udinese open their 2026/27 Serie A campaign with a 1-1 draw against Como on Saturday.

Okoye started in goal at the Bluenergy Stadium as Udinese secured a point in their first league match of the season. The hosts took the lead through Hassane Kamara, but Como responded after the interval when Anastasios Douvikas scored the equaliser.

Speaking to Sky after the final whistle, Okoye said he was pleased with the way Udinese competed against a strong Como team and was satisfied with his own contribution.

“We’re satisfied. We played a good match against a very strong Como side, we’re happy. I’m happy to have helped a little, but above all, the team played a great match,” he said, as quoted by Tuttoudinese.

The result was not the victory Udinese had wanted before kick-off, but Okoye insisted the squad had already turned its attention to the next fixture.

He said the team’s preparation and unity meant there was no reason to view the opening draw negatively after a competitive performance against Como.

“We’re already thinking about the next one; we took a point. It’s not a problem, because we’ve been working together for a long time,” he added.

Okoye also praised young Udinese players Palma and Abankwah, saying he was pleased to have them involved with the squad. The goalkeeper used the opportunity to underline his personal attachment to the game and his happiness at returning to competitive action.

“Young players like Palma and Abankwah are doing great, I’m happy to have them with us. Football is my passion, I’ve been playing it since I was little, it’s my life, I’m happy to get back on the pitch and show what I can do,” he revealed.

His comments reflect the enthusiasm he has shown since returning to action with Udinese. Okoye has recently spoken about his development and his determination to continue improving as he seeks to establish himself further at club level.

Udinese had hoped to begin the campaign with three points, but Kamara’s opener was cancelled out by Douvikas in the second half, leaving both sides with a point.

Despite the disappointment of not winning, Okoye said the team’s performance offered evidence that Udinese were ready for the new season. He acknowledged that victory had been the clear objective but accepted the result as part of football.

“We’re happy with the point, we certainly wanted to win this game, we came here thinking about winning this game. That’s football, you win and you lose, today we drew, we showed we’re ready,” he concluded.