Adebayo Adeleye: Worry for Nigeria as Super Eagles Goalie Concedes 5 Goals Before World Cup Playoff
- Super Eagles goalkeeper Adebayo Adeleye has caused panic after conceding five in Volos’ 5–0 defeat to Olympiakos
- The 25-year-old goalkeeper has been Nigeria’s back-up for first-choice Stanley Nwabali in the World Cup qualifiers
- Adeleye is expected to be listed as the Super Eagles prepare for the crucial World Cup play-off against Gabon next month
Nigeria’s hopes ahead of the 2026 World Cup play-offs have taken a minor dent after Super Eagles goalkeeper Adebayo Adeleye had a night to forget in Greece, conceding five goals in Volos’ heavy 5-0 defeat to Olympiakos.
Adeleye, who joined Volos from Cyprus side Paralimi in the summer, has found playing time hard to come by this season, featuring in only his third match of the campaign when Volos visited the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium for their Greek Cup clash.
Source: Getty Images
Facing Greece’s most decorated club was always going to be a steep challenge, and the difference in class showed almost immediately.
By half-time, Adeleye had already picked the ball out of his net four times, courtesy of braces from Giulian Biancone and Roman Yaremchuk, as seen on Livescores.
Olympiakos’ dominance continued after the break, with Yusuf Yazici converting a penalty to make it 5-0. Though Volos managed to stem the tide in the final minutes, the damage had long been done, ending their Greek Cup campaign in humbling fashion.
Difficult times for the Super Eagles goalkeeper
The result comes at an unfortunate time for Adeleye, who was hoping to catch the attention of Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle ahead of Nigeria’s upcoming World Cup playoff clash against Gabon next month.
Since his transfer to Volos, the 25-year-old has struggled to cement a first-team role, often serving as a backup to Marios Siampanis.
This lack of regular action, coupled with his latest performance, has raised doubts over his readiness for international duty.
Coach Chelle is set to name his final squad for the World Cup playoffs in the coming days, but Adeleye is now unlikely to make the list, especially with Maduka Okoye back in form and fitness.
With Stanley Nwabali firmly established as Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper and Okoye as his deputy, the third slot is expected to go to Amas Obasogie, leaving Adeleye on the fringes once again unless injury strikes among the regulars.
Nigeria faces must-win playoff test
Despite Adeleye’s struggles, the focus for Nigeria remains squarely on the crucial playoff showdown against Gabon, scheduled for next month in Rabat, Morocco.
Source: Getty Images
The Super Eagles must win the semi-final tie to progress to the CAF final playoff stage, where they will face either DR Congo or Cameroon for a spot in the Intercontinental playoffs, according to the BBC.
From there, only two teams will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making every decision and performance vital.
Chelle selects squad for playoff
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has named a 31-year-old in his provisional list ahead of the upcoming World Cup play-off.
However, reports indicate that the 31-year-old head coach, Paul Onuachu, is on the provisional list for the upcoming game against Gabon.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
