Maduka Okoye concedes twice as Udinese suffer shock defeat against relegated club at home

Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was unable to replicate his recent heroics for Udinese, conceding two goals in a surprising 2-1 home defeat to already relegated Monza in Serie A on Sunday.

Okoye, 25, was in fine form as Udinese held Bologna to a goalless affair on the previous outing in the Serie A and the Nigerian and his teammates were hoping to build on that at home against the relegated club.

The match at Bluenergy Stadium saw Monza, sitting at the bottom of the table, take a shock lead in the 52nd minute. 

Despite Udinese’s efforts to respond, Lorenzo Lucca managed to pull one back with 15 minutes left, giving the hosts hope of salvaging a result. 

However, those hopes were dashed in dramatic fashion when Senegalese forward Balde Keita restored Monza’s advantage on the stroke of the 90th minute, sealing their first win in 15 matches, a streak dating back to January 13th.

The defeat leaves Udinese in 12th place, while Monza, despite their relegation, celebrated a rare and morale-boosting victory. 

Okoye, who had impressed in his previous outing against Bologna, will now look to regroup as Udinese aim to finish the season on a stronger note