Former Nigerian international, Peter Rufai says he’s delighted that Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali has solved the country’s goalkeeping crisis after his impressive display at the just concluded 2023 Africa Cup of Nation.
Recall that Nwabali’s remarkable performances played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s journey to the tournament final, earning accolades from former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Rufai, who hailed the Chippa United star’s contributions.
In an interview with TVC News Nigeria, the 1994 AFCON winner stated that after assessing Nwabali in the first game against Equatorial Guinea, he was impressed with his general command of his 18-yard box.
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“In the commencement of the AFCON, the first match against Equatorial Guinea, that was my first time seeing Stanley Nwabali.
“Immediately I assessed his performance, his movement, communication, composure and I immediately said to myself Nigeria has been able to solve this problem, the yearning of Nigeria getting a better goalkeeper for the Super Eagles.
“Nwabali in that first match [against Equatorial Guinea] satisfied me and I was happy with what I saw, Nigerians were happy with what they saw as well but it didn’t just end there,” he stated.
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COMMENTS
Thank you, legend.
But someone said
“Nwabali is good but a flash in the pan”
Uzoho has regained his spot in his club bur the first and second GKs are currently injured.
Hahaha.. Forumites no be drop-out or ass-lickers!
Larry that person is me. Nwabili is good but I need to see him under loose formations (like 4-2-4) again credible oppositions in intercontinental club or national team football to judge him better.
The first time he played international football with average defenders in front of him against Mexico, Nwabili chopped 4 goals. In fact in his first 2 games he conceded 6 goals – 3 per game.
These are the sort of numbers one will associate with Uzoho and Okoye under similar circumstances making all 3, at worst, at very similar level.
If Nwabili was exceptional, Ivory Coast would not have scored their equaliser. His wishy-washy goalkeeping meant he was catching fish instead of catching the header that slipped through his fingers.
Had that been Uzoho, people like you wouldn’t have let us seen the last of it. But because it is Messiah Nwabili, funny fans are willing to look at the other side.
For the records, Nwabili’s frailty was one of the factors that condemned us to lose the final against Ivory Coast, Fact. BBC Commentator for the match Efan Ekoku said as much!
Some of you wre good at rushing to the comment section chatting NONSENSE. So Cameroon, South Africa and even Cote d’lvoire Nwabali saw off in the first stanza weren’t credible, abi? If not, which are credible footballing countries in Aftica? Answer me. Let me tell you there was no way the Elephants were going to go pass Nwabili if not that the center referee and his linesmen joined to play against Nwabili and his mates. After all, none was on planet mars during the tourney. Besides, the videos are still out there. He was just a revelation and deserves to be the tournament best keeper.
Ken I agree they Ivory Coast, Cameroon and South Africa are reasonable oppositions in their own rights. But the ultra defensive strategy of Peseiro also shielded Nwabili in those games.
Additionally, Afcon is not world cup that Uzoho has on his résumé.
Cameroon, Ivory Coast and South Africa are not Brazil, Argentina and Croatia that Uzoho has on his résumé.
Uzoho is a World Cup winner at Under 17 football, something that is now beyond the reach of Nwabili.
Records don’t lie. Let Nwabili keep clean sheets in 4-2-4 formation at the world cup against teams like Argentina before we can adequately compare him to Uzoho.
Let him play in Spanish La-liga, defend against Christiano Ronaldo in the Europa league and keep in a modest European league before we can make compelling comparisons.
The fact that Nwabili’s fans resort to abuse and bully tactics only shows the level of your mentality.
Deo – Abeg mek we hear word. You obviously have something against Nwabali. But let me make it clear to you, all the saves Nwabali made will beat Uzoho and Okoye 24/7. That ferocious hit from Ivory Coast defender will break Uzoho and Okoye’s hand into peaces. Abeg dem no reach. Talk another thing. Even if you put Cafu, Nesta, Maldini, Costacuta, Dimeterio Albertini and Gattuso, Uzoho and Okoye will still concede goals. Abeg talk another thing!
John, most times, I only comment on this matter when people call my name directly or discreetly.
My brother Larry called me out indirectly hence my response.
I like Nwabili. In fact I love what Nwabili did in this tournament for the most part.
But I think he still needs competition and I feel we just shouldn’t close the door to any other goalkeeper.
Thanks
@deo,can you tell us the last time the team kept a clean sheet in a competitive before Nwabali came into the picture…
Nwabali holds the national record for the longest streak of clean sheets.
If he could perform the way he did in his first competition with the team, I believe with discipline and support, he’ll be a force to reckon with.
For now, Nwabali remains the first choice.
Larry, indeed I cannot argue against anything you said above. Nwabili is our number one for now, fact.
His clean Afcon sheet record is also a valuable feather on his goalkeeping cap.
With discipline and support Nwabili can continue his remarkable transformation, and I pray he does.
But Uzoho and Okoye are waiting on the wings to grab the number one shirt should Nwabili prove to be a flash in the 3-4-3 pan.
Real recognize real
The match officials did not cheat any team in the final. Ivory Coast had almost seventy percent possessions in both halves of the game
Clearly we are moving on but don’t say what you just typed here again. The so-called % ball possession was as a result of the intrigue and politics introduced by the referee to give the Elephants an edge. He simply bullied and oppressed the Eagles throughout the game. Go watch to clips on YouTube. Nwabali’s wasn’t fluke for he delivered under normal situation. What about Leke Ojo ???
I don’t need to watch clips on YouTube. I watched the entire duration of the match live. The referee did nothing, Adingra, Kesie and Haller did everything.
Yes fetch, they scored 2 past Messiah Nwabili. Thank goodness it wasn’t Uzoho in goal.
Those two balls will still beat Uzoho easily – I mean easily. Though the first one is questionable but if El-Sanusi-Mohamed-Emir-Zaidu was there, no way Frank Kessie will head that ball unchallenged. The second one can beat Buffon and Casilas combined. Nigeria wouldn’t reach semi’s without Nwabali’s heroics,FACT. No way Uzoho will attempt to save that Mokena curler against South Africa. He’ll just casualy pick the ball from the net.
I ask again, how many shot on target did Tunisia have against Nigeria at 2020 Afcon? Only one and it was a goal. Ajibo-Okoye knocked us out. How many shots on target did Ghana record in Abuja? Only one (from Iceland), Uzoho let it in and denied us World Cup ticket. In both Tunisia and Ghana games, our defence was solid, yet our goalkeepers were plain poor.
So much truth in what Nwakali said ” I know some people want me day one so that they can say he is not a good goal keeper”
According to Sunny Ade
Eni to ba fe wo iseju akon, yo pe leti omi.
As much as believe in okoye, nwakali ball distribution, penalty save ability and his intimidating physique, composure and self confidence is what makes him shoulder above all other goalkeepers we have now
*want me to fail from day one
It’s funny how people wey never play 5-side before sabi football pass Peter Rufai and other legends lol. Mek una continue.
Stanley ‘Jan Oblak’ Nwabali is our numero uno.
Deo….deo…..deo….. this is getting out of hand. Do you know more than our former no1 goalkeeper, Peter Rufai? Do you think dodo mayana doesn’t know what he is doing or talking about?
You Oga Rohr followers want to do whatever it takes to bring Nwabali down, but Nwabali is a God sent, which no one can bring him down. If it is that easy, why did Oga Rohr and coach Paseiro not discover a new goalie?
As it stands now, you have no choice but to accept Nwabali as Nigeria no.1.
Okoye and Uzoho don’t have what it takes to chase away Nwabali.
Deo is like Oga Rohr and coach Paseiro. None of these people believed in other golies but in Uzoho until I brought Nwabali’s attention to Nigerians, and they accepted him.
Before the Afcon, the coach didn’t want to use Nwabali. Ogo Rohr even sent a message to coach Paseiro to make Uzoho no1, but the pressure was too much, but Nwabali manned the post at the Afcon, and the golie did not disappoint us.
So, Deo, if you continue like this, nobody will pay attention to you and your colleagues anymore. Okoye stands no chance to return to Super Eagles because he turns down the call from the gaffer and NFF.
I will caution you for the last time about Nwabali. The choice is yours. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Mr Omo9ja,
Nwabili is our number 1 goalkeeper and I am happy with that. But he still needs competition from players playing in credible leagues.
Nwabili is good. He had a great run in the Afcon. It’s now up to him to prove he can continue with this sort of credible outputs. Good luck to him.
We all have to admit that Nwabili has solved Super Eagles goalkeeping crisis following his eye-catching performances at the just concluded AFCON.
Reviewing the games, if there were any games that tested his qualities they were the last three games of the tournament. He was hitherto barely tested with the impregnable defensive wall erected in the 3 man formation at the back but we saw him rose to the occasion with that point blank save in the early minutes of the game against Angola, at a point where the defence was beaten at the setpicecs. He was imperial at the penalty shootouts in the semifinal match against the Bafana Bafana when many had thought it was the end of the road for the Eagles after being forced to penalty shootouts by South Africa but once again rose to the occasion, stopping two penalties to qualify us to the final. Ultimately, he drew a number of world class saves against the barage of relentless attacks from the invigorated host before the entire team finally crumble from the superior fire powers of the opponent.
Without doubt, one can safely and confidently say that the Super Eagles goalkeeping crisis has been resolved on account of Stan’s impressive showings.
It’s his confidence for me. He imposing and commanding.
Commendably, he grew in the tournament as it wore on and his heroic saves at latter stages of the competition drew world’s acclaim. What a guy!
And kudos to Pesiero and whoever has discovered the dude.
Now is the time to beam searchlight on the midfield hub of the super Eagles. Nwabili’s discovery is a testament to the abundance of rich quality players in the African league. Rather than looking for players of African descent, which has been craze over the last couple of years, here’s opportunity to look inward and unearth and uncover those rough diamonds in the continent with creative midfield qualities that will serve as the team’s qurveyor belt. It would have been a miracle to achieve such a tournament as AFCON with a missing creative hub.
We thank God that we now have Stanley Nwabili as a new discovery in the Goalkeeping department but I do not think it is yet uhuru for us. I think there are still many good goalkeepers out there that we can unearth. Nwabili is good for now, but we need to secure that department to have assurance that if anything happens to Stanley and he couldnt play, God forbids, we are secured. We need not take our eyes away from that guy in England that has committed to playing for Nigeria. We need to test him and others to make that department competitive.
I do not think Uzoho is good enough for our National team. He needs to be dropped. He has had his chances and we need to move on from him….With him in goal in any game, we are predictive and confidence level of prevailing in a game is low. Defenders will have to kill themselves to be sure we are not conceding cheaply. Opponents believe they can beat us with Uzoho in goal…..
Rufai I personally respect you as one of our ex but I find it very difficult to subscribe to your postulation of NWABALI solving our goal keeping problem.
NWABALI to me is just a temporary solution to our GK crisis.
What if NWABALI is injured or looses form, who’ll step in and deliver?
Can you see that the problem is temporary solve?
Another fact Nigerians are running away from is; how good is NWABALI in a 4 men defence?
Let’s say we’re using 2 CBs, will he still deliver?
He has confidence, composure, self believe, his pull out is top notch, defence organisation, can play with his leg confidently and also good in penalties.
These are some of the attributes he has over OKOYE & UZOHO.
MY MAJOR CONCERN IS, IF WE DEPLOY 2 CB INSTEAD OF PACKING THE BUS WE USE DURING AFCON, WILL NWABALI STILL PROVE HIS WORTH?
SOUTH AFRICA exposed our tactics wotowoto, and we’re taking on them in June for the WCQ, if we mistakenly repeat that tactics, I don’t know how many people are thinking what I’m thinking.
Mr rufai if you ask me I’ll tell you that the goal keeping problem is half solve….. Until NWABALI function without the 5 men defence, we’ve not solve the problem yet.
2ndly, as i said earlier, what if NWABALI is injured or looses form who’ll rise up to the occasion?
For the GK problem to be put permanently to bed, we must have at least 2 functioning GK…. 2 dependable save hands….
So please let the scouting team begin…. OKOYE is doing Wonders in udinense…. Infact, I even heard AS ROMA is monitoring him for a summer swoop since former goalkeeper, PATRICIO is leaving the club at the end of the season.
Can dry bones live again?
I say yes…. Surely, dry bones can live again….
UZOHO can still come back stronger, but while still waiting for him to pickup, let’s venture into our league search for save hands.
Let’s not conclude that our goalkeeping problem is solve.
I REST MY CASE.
****SHALOM****
Nwabali was a great find. Very competent, assertive, great with his distribution, and a good communicator. Uzoho had lost so much form the defenders were disparaging him on the field. He even turned in a cross! He should be retired. As for Okoye, he never performed strongly. He has very intelligently retired himself. Really no excuse for not calling in new keepers, either from Europe or the local leagues to prove themselves.
However, we need to sort out our lack of goals. This malaise has been present for years. We must consider change of supporting forwards, team formation, effective attacking midfielders who don’t have to be maestroes – just pass accurately, link up well, make good runs, don’t slow down the game etc. Nigeria has not had effective midfields compared to many other Africans other than the 1993 to 1998/2000, 1980 to 1984/6, and 1972 to 1976/8. We rely too much on individual dribblers not team drivers. Iwobi cannot function in the role he has been asked to play. Aribo has totally lost form, for nigh on two seasons. Moses Simon is still effective, but not Chuwueze. Let’t try Tella or other winger which must exist.
Otherwise, we won’t qualify for the WC. We have lost 4 points already from 2 draws, whilst South Afica has lost 3 only. And most of their team play together in Sundowns and will have more time to get used to likely teamwork. Conclusion: Nigeria must begin work immediately, analyse the AFCON, and become better at results.