Nigeria’s preparations for their FIFA World Cup qualifier against Bafana Bafana have been dealt a potential blow after a key player sustained an injury during a midweek club match, casting doubt on his availability for the crucial fixture.
The two sides will face off on September 9 at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein with both teams aiming to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Leading up to the highly anticipated showdown, both teams have separate fixtures to navigate. South Africa will first host Lesotho on Friday, 5 September, with the match taking place at the same venue, as Lesotho does not have a FIFA-approved stadium.
Across the continent, the Nigerian national team will be preparing to face Rwanda on 6 September at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo before they make their way to South Africa.
For the upcoming matches, Super Eagles could be without their first-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali after he sustained an injury during a Betway Premiership match of his club, Chippa United, on Wednesday.
Nwabali was forced to leave the game against Richards Bay FC in the first half following a knock. The 29-year-old was stretched off the field, with new signing Elson Sithole coming on to replace him in the 1-0 loss. His potential absence would be a significant blow to Nigeria’s defensive setup.
Nwabali was one of four goalkeepers named to Nigeria’s 31-man provisional squad last week. The other shot-stoppers called up were Adebayo Adeleye, Amas Obasogie, and Ebenezer Harcourt.
After the Chippa match, the club’s interim coach, Morgan Mammila, said they were still in the dark regarding the specifics of Nwabali’s injury, noting that they had yet to communicate with the medical team.
CHIPPA COACH ON STANLEY NWABALI’S INJURY
“I’m not sure [about the nature of the injury], but from here, I’m just going to go and get a report from the medical team and take it from there,” said Mammila.
“I’m not sure, but they will tell us where to go from here.”
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