‘Football is life’ – Super Eagles goalkeeper channels famous Ted Lasso star after impressive performance
Udinese’s Nigerian goalkeeper showed his quality once again as the Zebras opened their 2026/27 season against Como
Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye echoed one of football’s most famous television catchphrases after helping Udinese begin their 2026/27 Serie A campaign with a 1-1 draw against Como.
The Nigerian was pleased with his contribution at the Bluenergy Stadium and made it clear that his love for the sport remains as strong as ever.
Okoye shines as Udinese earn point
Okoye was handed the starting role as Udinese welcomed Como for their opening fixture, producing a solid display as the hosts settled for a share of the spoils.
Hassane Kamara put Udinese ahead before Anastasios Douvikas restored parity for Como in the second half. Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Okoye expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance against what he described as a strong Como side.
“We’re satisfied. We played a good match against a very strong Como side, we’re happy. I’m happy to have helped a little, but above all, the team played a great match,” he said, as quoted by Tuttoudinese.
The result may have fallen short of Udinese’s pre-match ambition, but Okoye believes the performance demonstrated that the team is ready for the season.
‘Football is my passion, it’s my life’
The 26-year-old also looked beyond his individual performance, praising Udinese’s young players and highlighting the importance of the squad’s collective work.
“Young players like Palma and Abankwah are doing great, I’m happy to have them with us,” Okoye said.
He then delivered a line that immediately brought to mind Ted Lasso character Dani Rojas, the fictional AFC Richmond forward famous for repeatedly declaring: “Football is life.”
“Football is my passion, I’ve been playing it since I was little, it’s my life, I’m happy to get back on the pitch and show what I can do,” Okoye added.
Okoye also insisted that Udinese were already focused on their next fixture rather than dwelling on the dropped points.
“We’re happy with the point, we certainly wanted to win this game, we came here thinking about winning this game. That’s football, you win and you lose, today we drew, we showed we’re ready,” he concluded.
For the Super Eagles goalkeeper, the new Serie A season has started with a strong personal performance and a reminder that, just like Rojas famously says, football really is life.