Babayaro Questions Nwabali’s Form as AFCON 2025 Continues

Former Nigeria U23 goalkeeper, Emmanuel Babayaro, has raised concerns over the performances of Super Eagles first-choice goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Speaking on the ATHLST podcast, the 49-year-old did not mince words as he criticised aspects of Nwabali’s game, pointing to his distribution and physical condition as areas of concern. Babayaro described the Chippa United shot-stopper as “overweight” and suggested that Nigeria were fortunate not to concede against Tanzania due to their opponents’ poor finishing.

“They need to look at Nwabali,” Babayaro said. “He is amazing, but he is overweight. Nigeria were lucky against Tanzania; if those shots were on target, they would have been in our net. His passes were not in sync and he looked a bit distorted.”

Nwabali has been Nigeria’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper since head coach Eric Chelle took charge and was a key figure in the Super Eagles’ impressive run to a second-place finish at the last AFCON.

Opinion: Babayaro’s comments may sound harsh, but they highlight a recurring debate in Nigerian football — the fine line between loyalty and accountability. Nwabali has earned his place through consistent performances and big-match temperament, yet AFCON is a tournament where small errors can end big dreams. Constructive criticism, especially from former internationals, should be seen not as an attack but as a reminder that standards must remain high if Nigeria hopes to go all the way. For Nwabali, this could be the spark needed to sharpen his game and silence the doubts with commanding performances between the posts.

As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on the Super Eagles’ defence — and especially their goalkeeper — to see how they respond under growing scrutiny.