Eric Chelle to Strip Nwabali of No.1 Shirt, Names New Goalkeeper for AFCON 2025
- Stanley Nwabali is set to lose his Super Eagles' starting shirt at the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
- Following a series of schoolboy errors in recent times, reports have it that Eric Chelle will name another No.1
- No fewer than six goalkeepers made Chelle's provisional list for the tournament, but only three will make it to the competition
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has reportedly concluded plans to name a new first-choice goalkeeper for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The tactician named six shot-stoppers in his 55-man provisional squad as he makes final preparation before the kick-off of the competition on December 21.
Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa), Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania), Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy), Adebayo Adeleye (Volos FC, Greece), Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus), Ebenezer Harcourt (Sporting Lagos, Nigeria) will all battle to make the final squad.
Source: Getty Images
Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, who has manned the sticks for the three-time African champions, is set to be displaced from the position.
Recall that the Chippa United goalkeeper made the headlines at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, helping the team to finish as runners-up, per ESPN.
He won the Man-of-the-Match award following his heroics in the semi-final as the Super Eagles defeated South Africa after an intense penalty shootout.
However, he seems to have lost form after the tournament, making glaring and costly errors in subsequent matches.
Nwabali left Nigerian fans with their hearts in their mouths during the World Cup qualifiers, having made howlers in crucial moments.
According to Nigerian outlet Own Goal, Nwabali will not be the first-choice goalie at the AFCON tournament in Morocco.
A source close to the team said:
"There is a huge chance that we will have a change in who will be in goal for the tournament.
"We haven’t had much chance to shake things up due to how dicey the games have been lately. But with the time and opportunity we have before the tournament, all of that could change.
"Nwabali is still the first choice but for how long I don’t know because we have had some conversations about his position.
"Also it’s very difficult to ignore the kind of season that Maduka Okoye is having in Italy with Udinese. Francis Uzoho hasn’t done badly too in the Europa League."
Meanwhile, the Super Eagles are drawn in Group C alongside Tanzania, Uganda and Tunisia, as they begin their quest for a continental title, per Sky Sports.
Nigeria will head to the tournament, hoping to go a notch further after narrowly losing to the host nation Ivory Coast, at the last edition.
The Super Eagles were just 45 minutes away from clinching the title after stand-in captain William Troost-Ekong had given the three-time African champions a lead in the first half.
Source: Getty Images
The Elephants came blazing in the second half, and Franck Kessie and Sebastien Haller scored second-half goals to shatter the Super Eagles' title dreams.
Chelle to submit final list
Legit.ng earlier reported that the final squad of 28 players will be announced ahead of the December 11 deadline set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The provisional list includes 14 new faces, five NPFL players and some players who have not played for the team in a while, many of whom are unlikely to make the final list.
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Source: Legit.ng
