Stanley Nwabali or Maduka Okoye: Former Monaco Star Picks Best Goalkeeper for Super Eagles
- Former Super Eagles forward Victor Ikpeba publicly ranked Stanley Nwabali above Maduka Okoye as Nigeria's first-choice goalkeeper
- Nwabali played a key role as Nigeria came from behind to beat Madagascar 2-1 in their 2027 AFCON qualifier in Uyo
- Okoye missed the Madagascar match after arriving late to camp, raising fresh questions about the Super Eagles goalkeeping battle
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Victor Ikpeba, the former Nigeria international and Monaco forward, has declared Stanley Nwabali the superior option between the sticks for the Super Eagles, placing him ahead of Maduka Okoye.
Ikpeba made his position clear on SuperSport following Nigeria's 2-1 victory over Madagascar on Friday in Uyo, the opening fixture of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Source: Getty Images
According to BBC Sport, debutants George Ilhenikena and Moses Usor each scored as the Super Eagles overturned a deficit to claim the win.
"Credit to Nwabali, he's the number one goalkeeper for the national team. In my opinion, he's better than Maduka. People at home might disagree, but he's the number one goalkeeper for the national team," Ikpeba told Daily Post.
Nwabali's performance against Madagascar
Nwabali's display was not without its rough edges.
When Madagascar opened the scoring, the Chippa United goalkeeper drew criticism for failing to come off his line, instead standing still and appealing for an offside call that never came as the header went in. His defence also contributed to the lapse.
However, Nwabali more than made amends with a decisive intervention later in the match.
With Nigeria's backline caught out of position, Madagascar's Raveloson bore down on goal unchallenged.
Nwabali held his nerve, tracked the attacker's run, and went to ground at the right moment to get a hand to the ball and deny the goal, ESPN reports.
Ikpeba credited that save with keeping Nigeria's winning margin intact.
"He prevented our embarrassment because at that moment, had it been 2-1, the match's conclusion remains uncertain. The result might have concluded 2-2 or resulted in our defeat 2-1," the former Monaco striker said.
Okoye's absence and what comes next
Maduka Okoye had featured in Nigeria's June friendly fixtures but was unavailable for the Madagascar match after arriving late to camp.
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle had permitted the Udinese goalkeeper's delayed arrival to allow him attend an event arranged by his Italian club.
With Nwabali putting in a largely assured performance, the goalkeeping debate has shifted noticeably in his favour.
A friendly against Russia could offer Okoye his next chance to make a case for the starting shirt.
Eric Chelle makes decision on Okoye
Earlier, Legit.ng reported about Okoye’s late arrival at the Super Eagles camp and Eric Chelle’s decision to drop him from the matchday squad. The Udinese goalkeeper reported on Friday, days after the deadline set for players returning from club duty.
Okoye’s absence drew attention after he was seen at Milan Fashion Week and pictured with Cardi B while Nigeria prepared for its upcoming fixture.
Source: Legit.ng
