Chippa United’s shot-stopper Stanley Nwabali again proved to be the heartbeat of Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) campaign.
After missing out on a spot at the 2026 Fifa World Cup, the Super Eagles set their sights on redemption, aiming to reclaim the Afcon trophy.
Matters did not go as planned as Senegal lifted the coveted piece of silverware on Sunday.
Nigeria were eliminated 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw against Morocco in the semifinals.
However, they went on to win bronze by beating Egypt by the same scoreline on Saturday.
Despite the bittersweet nature of their tournament’s outcome, Nwabali was satisfied with their third-place finish.
“I have to say the Afcon has been a difficult one for us after not qualifying for the World Cup,” Nwabali said.
“Coming to the tournament knowing we did not qualify for the World Cup because we lost against Congo. The mentality and confidence were a bit down.
“But this is a team that is developing, with a new coach who has been with the team for a year and is assessing how we can improve.
“Finishing third in this year’s Afcon was not what we had hoped for because we know we are a big nation that wants to win.
“We finished second at the last Afcon, and we were confident we would win this year, especially as underdogs.
“However, we take it, we accept the performance and move forward.”
The 29-year-old goalkeeper said he was pleased with his own performance.
“In the first and second group stage games, we did not keep a clean sheet as we had hoped. The clean sheets came late in the tournament.
“It wasn’t until the knockout stages that we began to find our rhythm and understanding with the help of the coach, and everyone wanted to help each other and fight.”
Nwabali felt he had improved significantly in the second Afcon representing his country.
He credited his development to the goalkeeper coaches he has worked with at Chippa and on the national team.
“In the 2024 Afcon, I came in as a new player, trying to build, but this time I felt I communicated better with the players.”
“I appreciate the guys because they listened to me, and we tried to work as a team, and you could see a lot of progress.”
Nwabali’s participation at the event was in doubt until late due to injury.
“With the assistance of the national team and the highest levels of how they treat their players, I managed to get fit enough.
“I felt like they helped me a lot with my recovery. I’m not fully fit, but they knew how to manage me. The team’s doctors and physiotherapists worked hard to get me back on the field to play.”
The goalkeeper returned to Gqeberha on Monday and is looking forward to the second half of the Betway Premiership season.
The Chilli Boys begin the new year with a game against Orbit College away on Saturday.
“I am done with the national team for now, so I am going to focus on my club to see how we are going to help the team survive relegation.
“I know we are at the bottom of the table, and it is not where the team should be.
“However, based on what the coach has said in interviews, he believes we will not be relegated, and with our mindset we believe the same.”
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