Soccer
Akor Adams, Calvin Bassey, Stanley Nwabali, Wilfred Ndidi during the Africa Cup of Nations AFCON match between Nigeria and Tanzania on December 23RD, 2025 at Complexe Sportif De Stade, Morocco. Photo by Segun OgunfeyitimixImago
Super Eagles and Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has teased the Mozambican players, claiming he was on ‘holiday’ last night, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 29-year-old started Nigeria’s opening group games against Tanzania and Tunisia, but was rested against Uganda after confirming he was nursing injuries. Francis Uzoho replaced him between the sticks.
Eric Chelle’s men failed to keep a clean sheet in the group stage, conceding four goals. However in their most dominant display yet in Morocco, Nigeria failed to concede as goals from Akor Adams, Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen saw the three-time AFCON winners cruise to a 4-0 win.
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Soccer Super Eagles: Nwabali lauds team effort, teases Mozambicans
The former Enyimba International goalkeeper was a passenger in Nigeria’s journey against Mozambique last night.
He had just 22 touches on the ball and failed to make a save, largely because the opposition had no shots on targets.
“I want to say kudos to these guys. From the coach to the players, they are one family,” the Super Eagles goalkeeper told Sporty TV in his post-match presser.
“Trying to fight like this, winning with a clean sheet is an improvement in the team, because this is where you talk about experience in the tournament.
“The tournament is not something that’s rushed; it’s a slow and steady step. We conceded in our first three games, but now we have a clean sheet.
“I believe the more clean sheets we have, the farther we go. I don’t like to talk about the next game, but I’m happy we won today.
“I want to rest. As you can see, I didn’t do much today, it’s nice to be on holiday. You know I didn’t celebrate December, now I’m celebrating my December here [against Mozambique],” Nwabali concluded.
Nigeria will find out their quarter-final opponents tonight. They’ll play against the winner of the round of sixteen clash between DR Congo and Algeria.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual sports journalist and football writer whose work spans outlets like Soccernet Nigeria, Pure Football UK, and Royalsportz.
With a sharp eye for detail and a background in college sports, he tells the African football story with depth, flair, and global perspective.
Fluent in English, Spanish, and German, he brings a cross-cultural voice to his coverage, blending insight with accessibility for readers around the world.
His portfolio includes interviews with top Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, Sikiru Alimi, Sodiq Ismaila, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.
A devoted Borussia Dortmund fan, Adefolahan thrives on the emotion and rhythm of the beautiful game. Away from work, he’s a sci-fi enthusiast and series lover who enjoys exploring how sport, storytelling, and culture collide.
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