Coach Runjaic Hails Maduka Okoye After Udinese’s Loss To Juventus

Udinese head coach, Kosta Runjaic, singled out goalkeeper Maduka Okoye for praise following the Zebras’ 1-0 defeat to Juventus at the Bluenergy Stadium on Saturday.

Despite the loss, Maduka Okoye produced a string of crucial saves, keeping Udinese in the game against one of Italy’s top sides. Ivory Coast international Jeremie Boga scored the only goal in the 38th minute, but Okoye denied him twice more, as well as stopping shots from Manuel Locatelli, Kenan Yildiz, and Fabio Miretti.

“Okoye saved us in several situations; we didn’t have many chances. Sometimes we make football difficult; Juventus is simply better than us,” Runjaic told the club’s official website.

“Juventus had more fans. Even today because it’s a global brand and one of the best teams in the world. I congratulate my team for never giving up, even though they had some difficulties at certain points in the match. When you win, everything is positive, but you have to look at the positive side even when you lose.”

The 25-year-old Nigerian goalkeeper also reflected on the match, saying, “Today we had the opportunity to get at least a point, but Juventus is a very strong team. Now we have to focus on the next match. I’m happy with my performance, but in the end, what matters is that the team gets points.”

Udinese remain 11th on the Serie A table with 36 points.