Udinese coach Kosta Runjaic has offered a strong public endorsement of Maduka Okoye, saying the Nigeria goalkeeper’s evolution is obvious as the 26-year-old closes in on the end of a season in which he has started 28 of his club’s 36 league matches and kept 10 clean sheets.

Runjaic said Okoye has kept Udinese in games several times, has become calmer and more focused, and is now the player he wants to see. He added that he hopes the keeper can produce two more strong performances with only two league games left, a run that could help settle Nigeria’s conversation in goal before the Unity Cup begins on May 26.

The Udinese coach made the comments in a pre-match conference ahead of his side’s meeting with Cremonese, framing Okoye’s progress as the result of a long stretch of work rather than a sudden change. He said the goalkeeper’s season did not begin smoothly, but praised the way he has responded after spending time away from match action and working on himself in training.

Runjaic also pointed to the support structure around the player, saying club staff have worked closely with him and that Gökhan Inler often speaks to him. In his view, Okoye has matured into a quieter, more focused presence who is mentally present in training and on matchday, and whose improvement has been central to Udinese’s defensive stability.

That matters beyond Serie A. Nigeria’s goalkeeper picture is under scrutiny heading into the Unity Cup and the next round of national team selections, with Eric Chelle’s squad announcement expected soon. Stanley Nwabali has been without a club since February and was left out during the March international break, while Okoye has re-emerged at club level after a stop-start spell that included his last appearance in June 2025 before he was handed the starting role against Iran.

Okoye’s return was not seamless. An injury forced him out of the second game against Jordan, opening the door for Francis Uzoho and Adebayo Adeleye to feature in his place. Even so, Runjaic was unequivocal about the goalkeeper’s trajectory, saying he sees a player who has worked through early mistakes and is now delivering the kind of performances Udinese need.

“There is talk of young people who happen to make mistakes at this age, we continued to support him and then alone he knew how to get out of a complicated situation, providing excellent performance,” Runjaic said. He added that Okoye is doing very well and must keep it that way, while stressing that his recent form has been good for the whole team.

For Nigeria, the timing is sharp. The Unity Cup starts on May 26, and Chelle’s imminent squad call will reveal whether Okoye’s club resurgence is enough to strengthen his hold on the job. For Udinese, the immediate picture is simpler: their first-choice goalkeeper has delivered across most of the campaign, and his coach wants the finish to match the run that brought him here.