2025 AFCON: Chippa United raises  the alarm on Nwabali’s fitness for Super Eagles

Super Eagles first-choice goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, is facing serious uncertainty ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco following a worrying update on his fitness status.

Chippa United head coach, Vusimuzi Vilakazi, confirmed that Nwabali is currently battling two injuries — an ankle issue and a more concerning hand injury that reportedly “needs an operation.”

 Both problems were reportedly aggravated during his recent national team duties with the Super Eagles.

According to Vilakazi, the 28-year-old shot-stopper “could miss out” on the continental tournament, with his availability now described as a “huge doubt.”

Nwabali has not featured for Chippa United since Nigeria’s AFCON playoff clash against DR Congo last month — the match that ended in penalty heartbreak for the Super Eagles. His continued absence from club action, coupled with medical assessments pointing to the possibility of surgery, has heightened concerns about his readiness for the AFCON campaign which starts in Rabat on December 21st.

With the tournament rapidly approaching, the Super Eagles technical crew will be anxiously monitoring the situation, as Nwabali’s impressive performances earlier in the qualification cycle had solidified him as Nigeria’s leading option between the sticks.

For now, the goalkeeper faces a race against time — and Nigeria faces the possibility of heading into AFCON without one of its most reliable performers.

Adeleye Adebayo, Francis Uzoho, Amas Obasogie, and Ebenezer Harcourt and Maduka Okoye are the other goalkeepers invited by Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle in the provisional 54 man list he is expected to prune down to 28 in the next few days.