Nwabali Named Man of The Match as Nigeria Defeats South Africa to Reach AFCON Final

• The Super Eagles of Nigeria are through to the AFCON 2023 final after beating South Africa in a penalty shootout on a thrilling night in Bouake
• Legit.ng reports that Nigeria sealed the game 4-2 in penalties after Nwabali saved two goals
• Following the encounter, the Confederation of African Football named Nigeria's new darling, Nwabali, the man of the match

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering sports and football.

Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire - Nigeria's Stanley Nwabali has been named the man of the match following his sterling performance in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 semi-final against South Africa.

Nwabali, one of AFCON 2023's stars, was solid all through the 120 minutes of action at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake, Ivory Coast.

Read also

AFCON 2023: Jubilation as Tinubu’s govt makes promise to Super Eagles after reaching final

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) wrote on its verified X handle on Wednesday night, February 7:

"He’s done a wonderful job again to take the TotalEnergies Man of the Match!"

Check out CAF's tweet about Nwabali's award below:

Snapshot of Stanley Nwabali

Nwabali plays as a goalkeeper for the Premier Soccer League club, Chippa United.

The 27-year-old started his senior professional career when he joined Go Round FC before securing a move to Enyimba in 2020.

He earned his first cap for the Nigerian national team in an international friendly against Mexico in Los Angeles, USA.

Following the goalkeeping worries of the Super Eagles in recent years, Nwabali was called up to Nigeria's AFCON 2023 squad.

Since his first game against Equatorial Guinea, he has continued to convince Nigerians that he is the best man for the job at the moment.

Read also

Nwabali: “Destiny child”, sports administrator shares story of Super Eagles goalkeeper's rise

What to read about Nwabali:

• "He is now worth N243m": Stanley Nwabali's market value skyrockets after impressive showing at AFCON
• AFCON 2023: Nwabali opens up on goalkeeper he watches before every game
• AFCON 2023: 'Like Ronwen Williams, Nwabali a solid goalkeeper in penalties', expert speaks out

Nigerians hail Nwabali

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigerian internet users hailed Nwabali on social media following his impressive performance against South Africa.

Nwabali saved two kicks from 12 yards as the Super Eagles defeated South Africa in the AFCON semi-final match 4-2 via penalties.

The Chippa United shot-stopper was also gallant in goal all through the match.

Source: Legit.ng