Stanley Nwabali: Nigerian Legend Sends Message to Goalkeeper Amid Calls for Competition
- Stanley Nwabali has continued to face heavy criticism following his performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers
- There are growing concerns over the goalkeeper as the Super Eagles prepare for the World Cup play-offs in Morocco
- Former Nigerian international Alloy Agu has called for the search for other talented goalkeepers who can compete for the position
Legendary Nigerian goalkeeper Alloy Agu has sent an urgent message to Stanley Nwabali amid growing concerns over the Super Eagles' goalkeeping position.
Agu, who was part of the Nigerian national team set up in the late 80s and early 90s, admitted that there is a need for other keepers to compete with Nwabali.
The former RFC Liege and ex-Kayserispor shot-stopper noted that the Super Eagles' first-choice will only reach his full potential if challenged by equally talented goalkeepers.
Source: Getty Images
Nwabali broke into the national team shortly before the start of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and was impressive at the tournament in Ivory Coast.
His heroics helped the three-time African champions reach the final, as he was outstanding when the team defeated South Africa in the semi-finals via a penalty shootout.
However, there have been mixed reactions over his performance lately, especially following the goal he conceded against Lesotho in the penultimate match of the World Cup qualifiers.
According to Agu, Nwabali has shown promise, but there are still psychological and technical areas he needs to improve on. Agu told Soccernet:
"Well, number one, Stanley Nwabali) has done well, and he has kept the hope of Nigerians higher. But, like you said, there are some things that need to be pointed out, and that means also to help him and to help the team.
"I think I’m not going to, I don’t want to expose or talk about my goalkeeper, my player. I’ve never been a fan of that.
"But what I can just say is that there is room for improvement. We must look at all that he has done, identify areas he needs to improve, and where he needs to continue doing well.
"So, areas he needs to improve, he should improve on them. But for me, I won’t go on air and talk anyhow about the number one goalkeeper of Nigeria.
"I only have encouragements, and I will encourage him to do well for Nigeria because we are at a crucial stage. We want to qualify for the World Cup, and I believe all things are possible."
Source: Getty Images
Stanley Nwabali stats in 2026 WC qualifiers
Stanley Nwabali served as Nigeria's primary goalkeeper during the bulk of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign in CAF Group C, featuring in 8 of the Super Eagles' 10 matches.
In those appearances, he conceded 6 goals, maintaining an average of 0.75 goals against per game, while achieving 3 clean sheets that played a key role in Nigeria's defensive solidity.
His total minutes on the pitch amounted to 720, where he averaged a solid 7.0 performance score per match.
Among his standout contributions were the clean sheets in the 2-0 away win over Rwanda, the 1-0 home victory against the same opponent, and the decisive 4-0 home thrashing of Benin Republic on the final matchday, which secured Nigeria's second-place finish with 17 points and advancement to the African play-offs.
Report from footystats highlight a save percentage of around 60.6%.
Chelle in search for Nwabali's replacement
Legit.ng earlier reported that Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has launched a search for a possible replacement for the goalkeeper.
The Franco-Malian tactician had made efforts to secure the commitment of Germany U21 goalkeeper Noah Atubolu, who later received a call-up to Germany’s senior national team.
Source: Legit.ng
