Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has urged players in the Nigeria Premier Football League not to give up on playing for the national team, after the former NPFL goalkeeper broke into the national team at the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, PRIMANEWS Sports Extra reports.
The Chippa United keeper made his competitive debut for Nigeria in the 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday ahead of the embattled top choice Cyprus-based Francis Uzoho and Enyimba’s Olorunleke Ojo.
He joined South African club Chippa in October 2022 from Katsina United.
The 27-year-old started his professional goalkeeping career in the NPFL, featuring for Go Round FC, who are now in the second division, and also made several appearances for Enyimba, Wikki Tourists, Lobi Stars and Katsina United.
He was called up to the Super Eagles squad with less than a month to the AFCON after coach Jose Peseiro bowed to pressure against fielding Uzoho.
Although the opening game didn’t spark inspiration for Nigerians to believe in the team’s ambition of winning a fourth AFCON title, Nwabali, who was largely untested during the game, was grateful for fulfilling his dream of representing Nigeria.
“I feel so excited, I feel happy being among this amazing team,” he said in an interview in the mixed zone after the game on Sunday.
“I will only tell everyone playing in the NPFL not to lose hope. It’s surely going to happen. Just believe in yourself regardless of where you are and where you are coming from,” he added.
He was also the first choice in the pre-AFCON friendly against Guinea and kept his place for Nigeria’s AFCON opener. Nwabali is now looking like Nigeria’s preferred goalkeeper as Peseiro endorsed him before the start of the tournament.
“There were not many videos of the South African league available for us. But some friends sent us videos of Nwabali’s matches in the South African league,” Peseiro said.
“I asked the NFF president to let me go there. So, I was there in South Africa for four days to speak with him, I spoke to the coach, and a lot of people. I watched the training, the practice, and I watched one match. In the final list, we decided to add him to the list after the whole evaluation.
“We believe in him because he showed good quality, good performance, and good capacities. Now I hope he displays the same quality he shows at his club.”
Ahead of Nigeria’s second game against Ivory Coast on Thursday, he will be looking forward to exerting his influence in the team, if the opponents give the Eagles a tougher test.
Currently in the South African league, the goalkeeper has kept seven clean sheets in 15 games, conceding 14 goals before he left the team for the national assignment in Ivory Coast.
