Super Eagles goalkeeper puts Nigerians on Panic mode

Stanley Nwabali, the goalkeeper for the Super Eagles in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cote d’Ivoire, has expressed uncertainty about his fitness for Nigeria’s upcoming match after suffering a knee injury during the AFCON Round of 16 victory against Cameroon.

The incident occurred during a collision between Nwabali and Cameroon winger Georges Nkoudou, leading to his substitution by teammate Francis Uzoho in the final 10 minutes of the match.

Nigeria secured a 2-0 victory over Cameroon in the thrilling encounter on Saturday and is now set to face Angola in the AFCON quarter-finals.

Reports suggest that Nwabali has approximately one week to recover before the crucial quarter-final clash with Angola scheduled for next Friday.

Despite acknowledging the inherent risk of injuries in football, Nwabali remains hopeful about his return to fitness and availability for selection in Jose Peseiro’s squad.

“I was OK before this game [Nigeria vs Cameroon]. But it [injury] happens. I will be fine. I don’t know [if I would be fit for the next game]. I will still come back,” Nwabali stated in a post-match interview.

Stanley Nwabali has been one of the Super Eagles’ bright spark since the AFCON tournament started, with the goalie helping the Eagles team to keep 3 successive clean sheets while in goal against Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau and Cameroon.

With his presence for the quarter-final clash uncertain, Nigerians sit on the edge and in panic as the highly criticized Francis Uzoho reclaims the starting spot in the team.