STANLEY Nwabali has won the hearts of many Nigerians after a heroic display that saw the Super Eagles advance to the finals of the 2023 AFCON, taking place in Ivory Coast.
The 27-year-old shot-stopper held his ground and helped Nigeria to the finals of the biennial tournament by saving two penalties in the penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw after extra time yesterday.
Stanley also broke a 22-year-old record to set a new record for the most minutes without conceding a goal by a Nigerian goalkeeper in the competition, as he went 493 minutes without conceding, breaking Ike Shorunmu's 450 minutes.
To crown it all, the Chippa United goalie, who made his AFCON debut in this tournament, won the Man of the Match award in yesterday's game and could as well be crowned goalkeeper of the tournament at the finals.
He is expected to retain his spot in the starting lineup when Nigeria plays Ivory Coast on Sunday in a bid to win what would be their fourth AFCON title in history and their first since 2013.
