South African fans are excited to welcome Stanley Nwabali back to his club after the 2023 AFCON.
Nwabali plays as a goalkeeper for Premier Soccer League club Chippa United FC and the Nigerian national team.
In their impressive journey to the title-deciding match, the Super Eagles navigated past several fierce foes, including Equatorial Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon, Angola, and South Africa.
Amidst this collective brilliance, a quintet of standout performers had been instrumental in Nigeria’s success, one of whom was Nwabali.
With only two international caps before the 2023 AFCON, the former Lobi Stars goalie had shown no stage fright. Rather, he had demonstrated consistency and brilliance when called upon.
Nwabali made several crucial saves against Cote d’Ivoire and Angola to get Nigerian fans singing his praises.
He will, however, be remembered forever for his spectacular showing against South Africa in the semifinal.
The clash against the Bafana Bafana saw Nwabali at his best, with the 27-year-old earning the Man of the Match award for excellent stops during regulation and the penalty shootout.
He was even positioned to be named the tournament’s best goalkeeper, having been a key piece in Nigeria’s defensive success.
See the video of his South African fans welcoming him back to his club, courtesy, Chippa United FC:
