Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, has expressed his welcoming stance towards the return of Maduka Okoye, the Udinese goalkeeper, to the Super Eagles squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, indicating that he has no issues.
The Super Eagles will face Bafana Bafana on June 7 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, before heading to Ivory Coast to take on the Squirrels in a away match on June 10.
In preparation for the games, head coach Finidi George invited 23 Eagles stars, with the Udinese man included in a three-man goalkeeping shortlist.
It was the 24-year-old’s first invitation since October last year when he got the invitation for the international friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique respectively.
Okoye’s recall to the Eagles stems from the wonderful season he had with Udinese, helping the club keep their Serie A status with his brilliant performances in goal.
The former Sparta Rotterdam goalkeeper’s invitation by Finidi has raised some interesting questions as to who man the post when Nigeria take on South Africa in the first game.
Nwabali has, however, said he was not worried about losing his number one place but would rather focus on the interest of the team.
“There’s no debate. If Maduka can give what he’s giving Udinese to the country, then he should play,” Nwabali told Lagos Talks.
“It’s not like a club side, where you see a new signing and you talk about fighting, No. This is country we are playing for, we are representing this green white green, and we want to see everyone happy.”
Nwabali’s stock has risen dramatically over the past six months, culminating in a surprise call-up by former Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
The former Enugu Rangers player seized the opportunity, delivering outstanding performances that made him one of Nigeria’s standout players in the tournament. He kept four clean sheets and made two crucial penalty saves, contributing significantly to the team’s second-place finish.
