Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye says he is enjoying being back on the pitch after returning from a two-month ban for betting irregularities, despite Udinese’s 3-1 defeat to Juventus at the Allianz Stadium on Wednesday night.

The 24-year-old emerged with his reputation enhanced after a commanding individual performance in his third appearance since returning from suspension, saying, “I’ve been out for a while, and it’s always difficult to be without football, but the goalkeeping coaches and the players have always helped me.

“I feel good, I’m happy, I want to grow, and I learn every day.”

According to Sofascore, Okoye was the highest-rated player on the pitch with a score of 8.2, after pulling off nine saves, including five from inside the box.

His reflexes kept Udinese in the contest for long stretches against a relentless Juventus side inspired by Dusan Vlahovic.

After the match, Okoye admitted the result was disappointing but struck a tone of optimism.

“We played a good game altogether; it’s always difficult against Juventus. We’re not happy, but we know we played well; we’ll take what we did well for the next match,” the Nigeria international said.

“We’ve made progress altogether this season, and this is the result of hard work. The coach is ambitious, and we always want more.”

The home side wasted little time stamping their authority on the contest. Vlahovic opened the scoring early with a powerful penalty, before Nicolo Zaniolo equalised for Udinese just before half-time, capitalising on a rare spell of pressure from the visitors.

Despite that equaliser, Juventus came out with renewed energy after the break. Federico Gatti’s towering header restored their lead, and late substitute Kenan Yildiz sealed the win from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time after drawing a foul himself.

Okoye, despite conceding three goals, made a string of breathtaking saves to deny Vlahovic, Openda, and Kostic. His handling, command of the area, and composure in one-on-one situations all stood out, especially after a long spell on the sidelines.

Okoye will hope his excellent showing will be enough to convince Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle to call him up for Nigeria’s World Cup playoff against Gabon next month.