Maduka Okoye Nominated for Serie A Player of the Month

Maduka Okoye, the 26-year-old goalkeeper for Udinese, has been nominated for the Serie A Player of the Month award for May 2026. Throughout the season, Okoye has made a significant impact, achieving 10 clean sheets in 28 appearances, placing him among a select group of Nigerian goalkeepers in Europe's top leagues.

The last Nigerian to reach double figures in clean sheets in a top five European league was former Super Eagles captain Vincent Enyeama during the 2014-15 season. Okoye's nomination is bolstered by his performance in Udinese's recent matches, where he secured two clean sheets in back-to-back 2-0 victories against Torino and Cagliari.

His consistent play has been crucial in keeping Udinese comfortably mid-table and clear of relegation threats. Notably, Okoye faced challenges at the start of the season, missing six matches due to a two-month suspension linked to a betting-related fraud investigation, which was later withdrawn in court.

He is now Udinese's first-choice goalkeeper and is set to feature in their final fixture against Cremonese.