Former Udinese and Juventus goalkeeper Emanuele Belardi has pointed out areas Maduka Okoye still needs to improve despite the Nigerian’s impressive performance against Juventus.

Okoye produced a series of fine stops, making seven saves to keep the scoreline respectable as Juventus secured a narrow 1–0 victory at the Blueenergy Stadium.

Despite the defeat, the former Udinese shot-stopper praised the Super Eagles goalkeeper for his display against the Old Lady, acknowledging his strong performance between the posts.

Speaking to Calcio Udinese, Belardi said the Nigerian International has developed into an excellent goalkeeper but still needs to refine his decision-making during matches

"Okoye is now an excellent goalkeeper," Belardi said. "He just needs to improve his game management, because sometimes he plays too instinctively."

 Belardi, however, acknowledged the Nigerian’s progress this season, noting that his maturity and hard work are becoming evident.

"But he's making progress. You can see that there's a lot of work behind him and that he's matured a lot," he added. 

Okoye endured a difficult start to the campaign after being suspended over a betting issue, but he has since re-established himself as a key figure for Udinese following his return to action.

The Super Eagles goalkeeper has featured in 21 league matches this season and recorded five clean sheets against Atalanta, Parma, SSC Napoli, AS Roma, and Fiorentina.

Adeyemi Adewale