Former Nigeria international Victor Ikpeba has backed Stanley Nwabali as the Super Eagles’ preferred goalkeeper, saying he rates the Chippa United goalkeeper above Maduka Okoye.
Ikpeba made the assessment after Nwabali helped Nigeria secure a 2-1 victory over Madagascar on Friday.
Speaking on SuperSport, the former striker praised Nwabali for his response during a crucial moment in the game, when a save helped Nigeria preserve their advantage.
“Credit to Nwabali, he’s the number one goalkeeper for the national team. In my opinion, he’s better than Maduka. People at home might disagree, but he’s the number one goalkeeper for the national team,” Ikpeba said.
He said Nwabali’s confidence and determination were evident in the way he dealt with the Madagascar attack, adding that the save prevented the game from potentially taking a different turn.
“He prevented our embarrassment because at that moment, had it been 2-1, the match’s conclusion remains uncertain. The result might have concluded 2-2 or resulted in our defeat 2-1,” he said.
Okoye had started Nigeria’s two June friendly matches but was unavailable against Madagascar after arriving late for international duty. Head coach Éric Chelle had authorised the delay to allow the Udinese goalkeeper attend an event sponsored by his club.
Ikpeba’s comments have therefore placed Nwabali ahead of Okoye in his assessment of the national team’s goalkeeping options.
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