Stanley Nwabali reacts to his heroics against Bafana at AFCON
Nigeria and Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has reacted to his brilliant performance as the Super Eagles beat Bafana Bafana 4-2 on penalties in the semi-finals of the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast.
The two African rivals played out to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday at Stade Bouaké after 120 minutes of play as the two teams couldn’t be separated.
The 27-year-old Nwabali had a great match against SA. He pulled off several good saves during the game and stopped two Bafana penalties to lead his country to the final of the elite continental football tournament. Nwabali was, therefore, named the Man of the Match for his efforts.
As a result, Nigeria will face the host nation Ivory Coast who defeated DR Congo 1-0 on Wednesday evening. The final showdown will be played on Sunday, 11 February, at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé.
On the other hand, SA, the 1996 African champions, will take on DR Congo in the third-place finish [Bronze medal]. The match will take place on Saturday, 10 February, at Stade Félix Houphouët Boigny.
Both matches will be played at 22:00 [SA time].
STANLEY NWALABI ON REACHING 2023 AFCON FINAL
Nwabali, who has previously faced criticism from the media that he hasn’t been tested in the competition, says it feels like a motivation to lead the national team to the AFCON final.
“For me, there’s no room to talk about criticism now because it happens in football,” said Nwabali. “When football goes like this, your fans really want more from you. I just see this as a motivation for me to show off my team and country.”
Both goalkeepers Nwabali and SA captain Ronwen Williams have all to play for, as they are the only two contenders for the competition’s Golden Glove.
The two DStv Premiership stars have been impressive and solid in between the sticks during the competition. They have kept four clean sheets in six matches, respectively.
Nwabali has let in two goals in six matches, while Williams has conceded three in the same number of matches.
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