Stanley Nwabali’s path back to the Super Eagles number one shirt is far from straightforward, and former Nigeria international Friday Ekpo has pointed to Maduka Okoye’s form at Udinese as the reason the AFCON 2023 hero faces a battle to reclaim his place, Footynaija.com reports.
Nwabali, who was outstanding as Nigeria reached the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, terminated his contract with Chippa United in South Africa in February and has been without a club since, training privately while exploring his options.
The inactivity has had consequences. Eric Chelle turned to Okoye as his first choice, and the Germany-born goalkeeper has done nothing to make the decision look questionable.
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Okoye returned from a suspension linked to a betting investigation in Italy and, according to Ekpo, looked composed on his return.
“I watched Maduka Okoye before the problem he had in Italy, and he looked good. Thank God for him, he went over the problem and he’s now back. I watched him again recently, and he was fantastic. He did not show any sign of rustiness or panic, which gives me hope for us in the national team,” Ekpo said.
Speaking to Completesports.com, the former Super Eagles midfielder was direct in his assessment of Nwabali’s situation.
“There is no doubt that Nwabali is a talented goalkeeper, but his absence from the Super Eagles as a result of his inactivity with club football really makes me feel worried,” he said.
He acknowledged the difficulty of the challenge Nwabali now faces.
“To be fair, it will be difficult for him to walk back into the team and regain the number one spot, going by the performance of Maduka Okoye at Udinese. Okoye has gradually taken his game to another height, and his confidence in front of goal makes me feel Nwabali has a lot to do to take his place back.”
Ekpo also drew on history to make his point about competition, recalling the days of Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu, Ike Shorunmu and Wilfred Agbonavbare all fighting for the same jersey.
“They all struggled to see who would be number one. So, you would see a lot of hard work and discipline among them. Whoever was chosen among them would always be proud of himself,” he said.
