Nwabali expresses confidence in Eagles’ AFCON performance
FILE: Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali
“… Sometimes you can’t correct everything, but we try to deal with it.” ~ Nwabali
Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali says he is not perturbed by Nigeria’s inability to keep a clean sheet at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, dismissing suggestions of defensive problems.
Nigeria have conceded three goals in two Group C matches while scoring five. Tanzania found the net once in the opening game last Tuesday, while Tunisia mounted a late comeback on Saturday, scoring twice after going three goals down. The Super Eagles won both games, recording a 2–1 victory over Tanzania before edging the Carthage Eagles 3–2.
Those results confirmed Nigeria’s qualification for the round of 16, but Nwabali and his teammates have faced criticism for conceding goals and nearly surrendering a commanding lead against Tunisia.
Goals from Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman had put Nigeria firmly in control at 3–0. However, a spirited Tunisian response in the final quarter made it a tense finish, as Montassar Talbi and Ali Abdi struck to revive their side’s hopes. Nigeria eventually held on, with captain Ferjani Sassi coming agonisingly close to an equaliser in stoppage time, only to see his header drift inches wide.
“Tournaments like this, you are bound to concede goals. Even the best teams in the world concede goals,” Nwabali said in the mixed zone after the Tunisia game.
“I don’t see any problem in the defence. At the last AFCON we kept clean sheets in our first two games, but things have improved overall. We also want to keep clean sheets and it pains me when I concede, but we keep going as a team.
“We scored from set pieces and they also scored from a set piece. That is probably one of their strengths. Sometimes you can’t correct everything, but we try to deal with it.”
The 29-year-old goalkeeper broke into the Super Eagles setup ahead of the 2023 AFCON, which was played in Ivory Coast last year, and claimed the number-one spot ahead of Francis Uzoho and Ojo Olorunleke.
In the current squad, Uzoho and Amas Obasogie are the other goalkeepers, with Nwabali playing down any rivalry among them.
“My first AFCON was with Francis, and I knew Amas before I left Nigeria,” he said. “These guys are amazing and they are like my family. We cover one another. There are no bad thoughts or bad energy.”
Already through to the knockout stage, Nigeria will face Uganda in their final group game next Tuesday, although it remains to be seen whether head coach Eric Chelle will rest Nwabali to give Obasogie or Uzoho a chance.
