Nations Cup: Nwabali Breaks 22-Year Super Eagles Goalkeeping Record

Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, has set a new national goalkeeping record of most minutes without conceding a goal at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Chippa United goal keeper surpassed Ike Shorunmu, who held the record of playing 450 minutes without conceding a goal across six AFCON matches in the 47th minute of the encounter against South Africa.

The record stood for 22 years and the former Enyimba goalkeeper has now written his own name in the history books by becoming the goalkeeper with the most minutes without conceding a goal for Nigeria in the Nations Cup.

Nwabali went 493 minutes across six games without conceding a goal in the Nations Cup to hold the record for the longest clean sheets among Nigerian goalkeepers in the competition’s history.

Prior to the South Africa clash, Nwabali only conceded once in the opening match of the group stage against Equatorial Guinea.

He recorded clean sheets against Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon and Angola and up until the 90th minute against South Africa before he was beaten from the spot by South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena.

Nwabali was Nigeria’s hero in the penalty shootout, saving two penalty kicks to help the Super Eagles to a 4-2 victory and ultimately a place in the final of the competition.

The 27-year-old was named man of the match in the encounter for his stunning performance against the Bafana Bafana.

Nwabali has made 14 saves in the competition so far, keeping four clean sheets and he is on course to be named as the goalkeeper of the tournament on Sunday.

He made his Super Eagles debut for the Home-based Eagles in 2021 in a 4-0 defeat to Mexico in an international friendly match.

The Super Eagles will take on hosts, Ivory Coast in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.