‘I’m back, keep crying’, Nwabali taunts critics on Super Eagles return - Punch Newspapers
Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. Photo: Super Eagles
Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has taken a swipe at his critics following his return to Nigeria’s squad for the September 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The Chippa United goalkeeper, who has spent an extended period away from the national team, posted a video on Snapchat featuring his penalty saves against Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush during Nigeria’s bronze-medal match at AFCON 2025. Captioning the video, Nwabali wrote, “I’m back, it’s time to keep crying 😂.” The 30-year-old was one of Nigeria’s standout performers at the tournament, saving penalties from Salah and Marmoush as the Super Eagles defeated Egypt 4-2 in the shootout to claim the bronze medal. He was subsequently named Man of the Match. His fortunes, however, changed after the tournament as his club situation became uncertain.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google According to Tribal Football, Nwabali left Chippa United in February, with expectations that he would join another club. The anticipated transfer did not materialise, leaving the goalkeeper without regular competitive football and eventually costing him his place in the Super Eagles. Maduka Okoye subsequently took over as Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper, starting the team’s June friendlies against Poland and Portugal. Osimhen set for injury return after international break ‘Madagascar not afraid of star-studded Nigeria’ Full house as Eagles begin training for Madagascar clash Okoye’s displays during the matches also fuelled discussions about the competition for the national team’s No. 1 spot. Meanwhile, another contender emerged in Arthur Okonkwo, a former Arsenal academy goalkeeper who received his first senior Nigeria call-up after FIFA approved his change of international allegiance. Okonkwo made his Super Eagles debut at the 2026 Unity Cup, starting both matches and keeping clean sheets in Nigeria’s 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe and 3-0 win against Jamaica. His performances further intensified the competition among Nigeria’s goalkeepers. Nwabali’s return to the national team picture began in July when Chippa United confirmed that he had rejoined the club, five months after leaving. The South African club said the goalkeeper had “taken time away” before returning to the Eastern Cape. He quickly regained his starting position and marked his return with an impressive performance against Golden Arrows, making six saves and keeping a clean sheet to earn the Man of the Match award. His return to regular club football has now paved the way for his Super Eagles recall, with Chelle naming him alongside Okoye and Okonkwo for the September qualifiers. Adetutu Sobowale Adetutu has three years experience in publishing stories on gender, health, education, metro and fact-checking.
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