Nigeria’s World Cup hopes have been thrown into doubt after first-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali suffered an injury while on duty for his South African club, Chippa United.
The 29-year-old was forced off the pitch in the first half of Tuesday’s league clash against Richards Bay after going down clutching his leg. He had to be stretchered off, leaving both his club and the Super Eagles worried about the extent of the damage.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Nwabali has grown into a reliable presence in goal for Nigeria, racking up 21 caps and bringing much-needed calm to the backline. With crucial qualifiers against Rwanda and South Africa coming up in September, losing him would be a major setback.
The Super Eagles are already dealing with a shortage of options. Maduka Okoye, once tipped as the long-term No.1, is unavailable due to a two-month suspension for betting offences. That leaves coach Eric Chelle with only inexperienced or untested choices.
Amas Obasogie, based in Tanzania, has never played for the senior team. Adebayo Adeleye of Greek side Volos NPS has only one cap to his name. The youngest option, 15-year-old Ebenezer Harcourt, caught attention at the U-20 AFCON, but it’s unlikely the coach would throw him into such high-stakes fixtures.
Nigeria currently sits fourth in their qualifying group with seven points, six behind leaders South Africa. With back-to-back matches likely to shape their chances, the uncertainty around Nwabali’s fitness could not have come at a more critical moment.
For now, all eyes are on Chippa United’s medical reports. If the injury keeps Nwabali out for long, the Super Eagles may be forced to gamble with inexperience just when the road to qualification is at its toughest.
