Super Eagles prospect, Maduka Okoye, endured a frustrating night as Udinese suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Verona in Serie A, courtesy of a brilliant 72nd-minute free-kick from Ondrej Duda.
Heading into the clash, Udinese were in fine form, riding a six-game unbeaten streak and eyeing a push for European qualification.
However, their hopes were dented as Verona secured a vital victory in their fight to avoid relegation.
The match began with both teams creating early opportunities, testing the goalkeepers through efforts from Oumar Solet and Daniel Mosquera.
Udinese controlled possession for large spells and looked particularly threatening after the interval. Kingsley Ehizibue nearly broke the deadlock when he cut inside and sent a shot just wide.
Arthur Atta and Sandi Lovric also attempted long-range strikes, while Lorenzo Lucca and Ehizibue failed to capitalize on a precise cross from Jordan Zemura.
Verona, though, made their moment count. In the 72nd minute, Duda delivered a moment of magic, curling a superb free-kick over the wall and into the top corner, leaving Okoye with no chance.
The home side pressed for an equalizer in the dying minutes, but their best opportunity went begging as Atta’s stoppage-time header lacked the required precision.
With this crucial victory, Verona bolstered their survival hopes, while Udinese’s aspirations for European football took a significant hit.
