Runjaic Stands By Okoye — Confident He’ll Return to Best Form at Udinese

Kosta Runjaic, the head coach of Udinese, has publicly backed goalkeeper Maduka Okoye to rediscover his best form at the club, according to reports.

Okoye, who is a Nigerian international, missed the start of the season due to suspension following his alleged involvement in a betting scandal.

In Udinese’s recent 3–0 defeat to Bologna FC 1909, Okoye saved a penalty a bright moment though he was also partly at fault for the second goal conceded.

Runjaic acknowledged that Okoye “took unnecessary risks” against Bologna and admitted the team lost partly because of those mistakes. But the coach also insisted he remains patient: “It takes time, it’s a growth process,” he said, indicating confidence that the goalkeeper can improve as he regains match sharpness.

Despite criticism and occasional stumbles, Runjaic reaffirmed his trust in Okoye, describing him as the club’s number one  and suggesting the Italian side will continue to support him as he works to rebuild form.

Editorial

Football’s truest tests rarely arrive in moments of ease. They come when a player once away from the spotlight must stride back into the spotlight under scrutiny, expectation and pressure. Maduka Okoye is walking that path now, and under Kosta Runjaic’s watchful eye, his future remains a gamble worth betting on.

Okoye’s suspension cast a long, uncertain shadow over his career but to write him off would have betrayed patience, foresight, and respect for potential. In one breath he is a man under fire in another he is a goalkeeper with the raw tools and temperament to succeed reflexes, courage, a penalty saved even in defeat. The penalty stop against Bologna was more than a moment it was a reminder of what he can be, when he is sure, stable, confident.

Runjaic’s message is clear, the past may cast doubt, but conviction can build a comeback. In a sport too often rushed and reactive, there is virtue in restraint. Allowing a goalkeeper time to reacclimate, to rebuild composure, especially after a long period away from competitive action that is not weakness, but maturity.

Italy’s Serie A is ruthless. Defensive lapses are punished. Mistakes are magnified. Yet in that cauldron, a goalkeeper’s redemption carries a rare sort of poetry. If Okoye finds his stride, Udinese will not merely have regained a shot-stopper they will have re-awakened a cornerstone. Good teams are not just built on form, but on faith.

And so the task before Okoye is not merely physical or technical. It is moral to silence doubters, to prove that a fall however public can lead not to ruin, but resurrection. Under Runjaic’s measured hand, that journey begins now.

Did You Know?

1. Okoye missed the start of the 2025–26 season due to suspension following allegations related to a betting scandal but he retained the status of first-choice goalkeeper upon his return.
2. His suspension lasted about two months; upon reinstatement, he was immediately named again as Udinese’s starting goalkeeper, showing the club’s continued faith in him.
3. In his first match back after suspension, Okoye made crucial saves including a one on one stop in a 1–1 draw with Cremonese, helping stabilize Udinese’s defense after a lengthy absence.
4. The penalty save against Bologna in the 3–0 loss remains Okoye’s first Serie A penalty save of the 2025–26 season.
5. Despite imperfect outings, head coach Runjaic recently publicly confirmed he will continue to trust Okoye in goal, insisting that with time and work he can “express his full potential.”