Maduka Okoye has reflected on his crucial penalty save in Udinese’s away draw against Parma, which helped the team end their six-game losing streak in Serie A.
The Zebras had suffered six consecutive league defeats before travelling to Parma but delivered an encouraging performance in their fight to avoid relegation.
Kosta Runjaic’s side created the better chances and had several opportunities to secure all three points.
However, they had goalkeeper Okoye to thank for ensuring they returned home with a share of the spoils.
The Nigeria international initially made a costly error when he fumbled a corner, leading to a penalty after the ball struck James Abankwah’s arm.
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However, Okoye quickly redeemed himself by saving Adrian Bernabé’s spot-kick with an excellent stop, earning him the Man of the Match award.
Okoye Thumbs Up Parma’s Draw
Okoye expressed satisfaction with the result, while insisting that the team’s attention had already shifted to their 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,” Okoye told the club’s official website.
“We’ve been unlucky in these games, and we’ve also been missing players like Zaniolo, whose importance we saw today,” he told the club’s official website.
The draw offers Udinese a welcome boost after their difficult run of results, with Okoye’s decisive intervention proving vital in helping the team stop the slide.
By Adeboye Amosu
