Key Takeaways
- Maduka Okoye saved a penalty as Udinese ended their six-match Serie A losing streak with a 0-0 draw against Parma on Wednesday.
- Okoye denied Adrian Bernabé in the 69th minute, earning the Man of the Match award and his first Serie A clean sheet this season.
- Nicolò Zaniolo praised Okoye for helping Udinese secure an away point, while both players said their focus had shifted to the next match against Roma.
Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has received praise from teammate Nicolò Zaniolo after his penalty save helped end the club’s six-match losing streak in Serie A with a 0-0 draw against Parma on Wednesday.
The Nigeria international denied Adrian Bernabé from the spot in the 69th minute at the Stadio Ennio Tardini to earn Kosta Runjaic’s side a valuable point after a difficult run of results.
Okoye had earlier failed to hold a corner, with the ball striking teammate James Abankwah’s arm to concede a penalty. However, the 26-year-old redeemed himself by keeping out Bernabé’s effort.
The save earned Okoye the Man of the Match award and secured his first clean sheet in Serie A this season. He had conceded 18 goals in nine league appearances before the game.
Zaniolo praised the goalkeeper for his contribution, saying he had rescued Udinese on several occasions.
“It’s not the first time Maduka has saved us. I love him; he’s a good person and a fantastic goalkeeper. Today, thanks to him, we broke our losing streak and got a point away from home that moves us up the table. Now we have to focus on Roma,” Zaniolo told Udinese’s official website.
Okoye welcomed the result but insisted that the team had already shifted its attention to the next fixture.
“We always want to win, and we need points. Today we got one, and that’s fine. Now we’re immediately focusing on the next one. The penalty save was pure instinct,” he said.
