By Daily Sports Nigeria on February 7, 2024

In-form Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, is in line to surpass former Nigerian shotstoppers, Best Ogedengbe and Ike Shorunmu’s Africa Cup of Nations records in Nigeria’s semi-final clash against South Africa at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake on Wednesday (today), PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Nwabali equalled Ogedengbe and Shorunmu’s record after keeping another clean sheet in Nigeria’s 1-0 quarter-finals win over Angola in Ivory Coast.

The Eagles beat the Palancas Negras last Friday to progress to the semi-finals of the 34th edition of the AFCON as they continued their quest to win the tournament for the fourth time, having done so in 1980, 1994 and 2013.

After keeping another clean sheet against the Angolans, the 27-year-old became the third Eagles goalkeeper to keep four consecutive clean sheets in a major tourney, surpassing Alloy Agu’s three games in a row in 1990.

The first shot stopper to keep four consecutive clean shots in a tournament in Eagles jersey was Ogedengbe in 1980, when the team won their first continental title.

The late keeper kept two consecutive clean sheets against Ivory Coast and Egypt in the group stage, having conceded once in their 3-1 win over Tanzania in their opening game.

He kept another clean sheet against Morocco in the semis, before another 3-0 win over Algeria in the final.

Shorunmu was next to achieve this feat in 2002, also 22 years later, at the competition in Mali where Nigeria won a bronze medal.

The then 34-year-old began the competition in hot form keeping clean sheets in the first four games against Algeria, Mali, Liberia and Ghana as the Eagles won all games 1-0 except a goalless draw with hosts Mali.

He conceded his first goals at the competition in the semi-finals against Senegal which ended 2-1 after extra-time. He was then benched in the 1-0 win over Mali in the third-placed match.

Nwabali, just like Ogedengbe, conceded a goal in the opening game against Equatorial Guinea and had not been beaten afterwards, keeping clean sheets against Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon and Angola.

The Chippa United goalkeeper will hope to own the record outright when the Eagles face the winners between South Africa and Cape Verde in the semi-finals today.

Source Punch Ng

Posted February 7, 2024

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