By Daily Sports Nigeria on May 18, 2024

• Resurgent Udinese keeper primed to battle Nwabali for Eagles No. 1 shirt

Stanley Nwabali arguably earned the Nigeria cap the easiest, with the Super Eagles number one shirt tossed on his lap by erstwhile team handler Jose Peseiro ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

 Francis Uzoho’s floundering fortunes between the sticks, letting in cheeky goals with reckless abandon, saw the Portuguese scurry the globe for a reliable goalkeeper and luckily stumbled on Chippa United’s safe hands, Stanley Nwabali, who made a meal of the rare opportunity to etch his mark on the sand of time at the biennial football fiesta, pulling off a string of brave saves to guide the team to the final.

 The 27-year-old’s virtuoso outing meant critical Nigerians couldn’t term him an opportunist, being central to the ultra-defensive pattern that earned the three-time African champions silver.

 While sending heads turning with his bravery, the team’s former first choice, Maduka Okoye was resuscitating his career at Serie A club Udinese, where he eventually became un-droppable to the team handlers after a stuttering start following his arrival at Udine from Watford.

The 24-year-old Düsseldorf, Germany-born player regretted his absence from AFCON, sending a direct message to Nwabali. “My injury is well behind me. I feel 100 per cent now. I’d like to get back to playing for Nigeria as soon as possible. It was hard watching the African Cup of Nations from home,” said the former Sparta Rotterdam shot stopper with 16 Nigerian caps under his belt since 2019.

Most Nigerian football fans, especially the females, have been expecting the never-unkempt Adonis back between the posts he hasn’t manned for over two years, having last done so on January 23, 2022, in a 1-0 defeat to Tunisia in the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 fixture at Stade Omnisport Roumdé Adjia, Garoua, Cameroon. He was an unused substitute the last time he donned the Nigerian shirt in an international friendly 3-2 win over Mozambique at Estádio Municipal de Albufeira on October 16, 2023.

 There has been a long turnaround of fortunes for Okoye, who has started all 19 matches for Udinese, keeping about five clean sheets and bagging a few Men of the Match and Player of the Month awards. In fact, he has made the team’s number one shirt his property, relegating four other first-team goalkeepers, Marco Silvestri, Federico Mosca, Joel Malusà, and Danielle Padelli, to the fringes at Bluenergy Stadium, attracting the interest of some top European clubs, including Roma.

His return to the Super Eagles has been a long time coming, having been listed by Peseiro for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, which he missed due to issues with his international passport. He was replaced by Bendel Insurance’s Amas Obasogie in the 23-man squad.

 As things stand, most Nigerians will not forgive the new Super Eagles handler, Finidi George, if he fails to name Okoye in his squad for the next rounds of the CAF 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Group C rivals South Africa, Benin Republic, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe.

His invitation will trigger an intense rivalry between him and Nwabali for the number one shirt; a battle that will be better seen than imagined, which will leave Francis Ozoho, Adebayo Adeleye, and Olurunleke Ojo with no fighting chance.

Sharing his thoughts on the imminent battle that will make Finidi spoilt for choice but make his position unenviable with PUNCH Sports Extra, former Nigerian junior international, Monday Kanu, believes the fight will not be a walk in the park for either contender.

 “For me, the choice falls squarely between Stanley Nwabali and Maduka Okoye. Based on their recent performances, the keeper jersey seems to favour Okoye, who has been in impressive form for Udinese, showcasing his skills and consistency in goal for the club. Nwabali has also been outstanding for both club and country, but Okoye is a more refined keper,” said the former Bendel Insurance Julius Berger FC player, now an environmental and youth advocate with a vested interest in climate change awareness training.

“While Nwabali has shown flashes of brilliance, Okoye’s current form and confidence make him the stronger contender for the No. 1 spot. Okoye’s ability to command the box, distribute the ball effectively, and make decisive saves will earn him the nod ahead of Nwabali. On the other hand, based on the latest outing for the Super Eagles, the pendulum appears to tilt to Nwabali if we go by the cliché that says if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” added the 1992 graduate of the prestigious Howard University, Washington, DC, USA.

Source Punch Ng

Posted May 18, 2024

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