- Stanley Nwabali faces AFCON 2025 doubt due to ankle and hand injuries.
- Coach Vusimuzi Vilakazi fears surgery may rule him out of tournament.
- Maduka Okoye may become first-choice goalkeeper if Nwabali misses out.
- Super Eagles open AFCON campaign vs Tanzania in Morocco, Dec 23.
Stanley Nwabali, the Super Eagles’ trusted goalkeeper, is now a major doubt for the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON). Reports indicate that the Chippa United shot-stopper aggravated both ankle and hand injuries, and may require surgery, a development that could force him out of the highly anticipated tournament in Morocco.
His coach, Vusimuzi Vilakazi, confirmed that the situation is more serious than many hoped, even though the player remains positive about recovering in time.
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“I doubt it, looking at the state of his injury, I don’t think he will make it,” Vilakazi said in an interview.
“He is hopeful of a quick return because he wants to be at AFCON, but the reality is that he is still injured. The hand also needs an operation after he aggravated it in Morocco.”
Despite being named in Super Eagles’ provisional squad by coach Eric Chelle, the final 28-man list is still pending, leaving room for uncertainty. Should Nwabali fail to recover before the December deadline, Udinese’s Maduka Okoye is expected to step up as Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper for the tournament.
The Super Eagles will kick off their AFCON campaign in Group C, taking on Tanzania in their opening match on December 23 in Fes, Morocco.
