Currently, Nwabali is on the lips of every sports-loving Nigerian and other African countries.
A few months ago, this was not so.
Through AFCON 2024, Stanley Nwabali has made a name for himself with his stellar performance.
Who is Stanley Nwabali?
First, his full name is Stanley Bobbi Bobo Nwabali.
He is Nigeria’s number-one choice goalkeeper at the ongoing 2024 Africa Cup of Nations hosted at Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).
From the beginning of AFCON 2024, he was not the first choice. Francis Uzoho was. He has outperformed Francis and is now the first-choice keeper
Stanley also plays goalkeeper for a South African Club, Chippa United. Unfortunately, the club is struggling and not too far from the relegation zone for the 2023-2024 season of the Premier Soccer League (PSL)
How old is Nwabali?
Stanley is 27 years old. He was born in 10/06/1996.
Where is Stanley Nwabali from?
He was born in Rivers State to Igbo parents and grew up in Port Harcourt, River State, Nigeria.
However, the biography of Stanley is a little bit confusing as to where he is exactly from.
Nwabali Stanley is lgbo. He is primarily from Imo State before his community was caved out to join River State. His home town in River State is Ogba.
He was from Ohaji/Egbema part of Imo State which shares boundary with River State. So it is right to say he is from Imo State historically.
However, those who say he is not from Imo but from River State are still right because , by law he is from River State. Notwithstanding, he is Igbo, by tribe. It is understandable when people are confused and begin to ask, where is Stanley Nwabali from?
Some people wonders if Stanley Nwabali is from Ebonyi State. I think , this is because the Surname , Nwabali is common in Ebonyi. Well, Stanley is not from Ebonyi State.
When did Nwabali start playing for Super Eagles of Nigeria?
Stanley made his international debut in 2021 when Super Eagles played an international friendly match against Mexico in the United States. Nigeria lost that match by 4-0.
At that time, Nwabali, was playing in Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) with Enyimba. He started the game which earned his first cap on the very day.
Stanley Nwabali Career
Stanley started his trade in football as a striker. Many people didn’t know this. His first club in Nigeria was Go Round Football Club, where he played as a striker before his coach converted him to a goalkeeper.
Go Round Football Club is based in Omoku, Rivers State, Nigeria.
How many clubs has Stanley Nwabali played ?
Before his move to South Africa in 2022, he has played for four clubs in Nigeria. The clubs are:
Youth-Go Round FC (River state)
2019-Enyimba FC (Aba, Abia State)
2021-Lobi Stars (Makurdi, Benue State)
2022-Katsina United (Katsina State)
It was in 2022 that he joined Chippa United in South Africa.
By 2023, the current Nigeria National Team coach, Peseiro, reached out to him in South Africa as a backup goalkeeper for the AFCON tournament.
And as of the time of writing this article in February 2024, he has become the number-one goalkeeper for the Super Eagles of Nigeria!
This is as a result of his stellar performances.
Nwabali played 5 games, kept 4 clean sheets and conceded only one goal in the AFCON 2024 tournament. This article was written before Semi-final game against South Africa
According to Igbo History and Facts, Nwabali is the first Nigerian goalkeeper who kept four clean sheets in a row in the last 45 years.
Stanley Nwabali’s injury
During round of 16 games, Nwabali appeared to have collided with a player. This made Nigerians jittery.
He sustained this injury at about 70 minutes in a match against Cameroon on 27/01/2024 where Nigeria later won by 2-0. This win ,eliminated Cameroon from the competition.
The sensational Ademola Lookman scored the 2 goals at 36 and 90 minutes respectively. In case you want to read what makes Ademola lookman sensational in AFCON, 2024, read this.
Nigerians later learnt his injury; a knock on his knee was not serious. His inclusion to play against Angola in the quarter-finals made Nigerians jubilant.
He has the confidence of a superhuman in between the goalposts. With him in the goalpost, Nigeria eliminated Angola in the round quarter-finals of AFCON 2024 in a 1-0 defeat.
The same Ademola Lookman scored the lone goal that destroyed the hope of Antelope of Angola at 41 minutes of play.
If you missed the Nigeria Angola game, you have have a look at the game’s statistics below.
Stanley Nwabali, the hope for Nigeria
A lot of Nigerians have expressed hope and optimism by sheer confidence Stanley has shown. People say that he is another Vincent Enyeama who was the last good goal keeper the super Eagles have hard in a long while.
Some described him as a reincarnation of legendary Vincent Enyeama
The other part of Stanley that people want to know is his marital status or civil status
Is Stanley Nwabali Married or Single?
Stanley is married with a kid. He lives in South Africa with is family.
Do you know the meaning of Nwabali?
In Igbo land, names are or perhaps were given to a child based on time or circumstances surrounding his or her birth.
If we write Stanley’s name in full,, it would be ‘ Nwa Abali’ which translates to ‘Child of midnight’.
‘Nwa’ in Igbo means child, while ‘Abali’ means night or midnight .
By the way, did you miss Nigeria vs South Africa penalties for AFCON 2024?
