Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye expressed pride in his team's effort despite their 2-0 defeat to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.

Udinese suffered their fourth loss of the campaign after Lorenzo Pellegrini converted a penalty shortly before half-time, with Zeki Çelik adding a second just past the hour mark.

Okoye commended his teammates for their performance against a strong opponent.

"I'm very proud of the team. We played a good match at the Olimpico, and it's not easy against Roma, who are very strong. I'm happy. We didn't get any points, but the performance was good," Okoye said to Udinese's official website. 

Reflecting on his desire to make key saves, Okoye added: "It's always 50-50 on penalties. I want to save one this year; I haven't done so yet, but the time will come. It's a shame it wasn't today; now we have to look ahead."

Okoye also spoke about teammate Nicolò Zaniolo, who featured against his former club. 

"It was a special match for Zaniolo, but before the match he was calm as always. He's a great player, we're happy to have him with us," he said.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has included Okoye in Nigeria’s 24-man squad for the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff clash against Gabon. The match will be held in Morocco on November 13.

Wale Adejumo

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