During the quarterfinal match against Angola on Friday at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire, Stanley Nwabali, the goalkeeper for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, revealed the reason behind his vocal outburst directed at teammate Alex Iwobi.
The incident occurred in the 59th minute, shortly after the Angolan team almost scored through substitute Zini. Nwabali’s shouts were prompted by Iwobi’s involvement in some careless play in midfield, which resulted in an Angolan counter-attack.
Despite the momentary lapse, Nigeria secured a 1-0 victory, with Ademola Lookman scoring the decisive goal in the first half, propelling them to the semifinals of the tournament.
Nwabali told reporters in the mixed zone: “It’s a team game, so everyone needs to switch on; it doesn’t matter, so maybe it was our strategy at that moment. I don’t feel like anything happened, so it’s okay.
“You can see we’ve kept four clean sheets and conceded one goal; the guys are good. Our understanding is getting better as the game goes on. We keep understanding each other.”
