Udinese head coach Kosta Runjaic has heaped praise on Maduka Okoye following the goalkeeper’s impressive performance against Padova.

The Zebras secured a 1-0 victory over Padova in their Coppa Italia clash at the Bluenergy Stadium on Sunday.

Keinan Davis scored the decisive goal for Udinese in the 35th minute.

Okoye missed the entire pre-season due to a shoulder injury but was handed a place in the starting line-up by Runjaic for the encounter.

Read Also: Coppa Italia: Udinese Boss Confirms Okoye Fit For Padova Clash

The Nigeria international justified the manager’s faith in him with an assured display between the sticks, helping Udinese keep a clean sheet and secure passage to the next round.

Okoye’s impressive performance also earned him plaudits from Runjaic after the game.

“Okoye was playing his first game back from injury and kept a clean sheet. The overall record is good, but we don’t want to get too excited; we need to stay focused ahead of the Como match,” Runjaic told the club’s official website.

Udinese will face Venezia in the next round of the competition.

By Adeboye Amosu

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