Saturday, October 10, 2026

AFCON: Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali recovers from injury to start for Nigeria against Angola

Nwabali had passed the fitness test and thus retained his position as the team’s number-one goalkeeper at the ongoing AFCON.

• February 2, 2024
Stanley Nwabali (credit: Afrik foot)
Stanley Nwabali (credit: Afrik foot)

Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has been named in the Super Eagles starting lineup for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-final game between Nigeria and Angola on Friday evening.

Having been subbed off in Nigeria’s 2-0 win over Cameroon in a round of 16 tie last week due to injury, the feasibility of the former Enyimba goalkeeper playing today’s game had been the talking point among Nigerian football fans for days.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Thursday, the head coach said Nwabali will have to pass a late fitness test in the evening to know whether he could make the squad for the game against Angola.

Nwabali had passed the fitness test and thus retained his position as the team’s number-one goalkeeper at the ongoing AFCON. He has started all of Nigeria’s four matches in the tournament.

For the Angola game, Peseiro maintained an unchanged starting lineup from the game against Cameroon, with Semi Ajayi, Willam Troost-Ekong and Calvin Bassey in the defensive line.

Ola Aina and Zaidu Sanusi occupied the two wingback positions. Frank Onyeka and Alex Iwobi will play in the heart of the midfield while Moses Simon, Ademola Look and Victor Osimhen stay upfront.

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