Vusimuzi Vilakazi, head coach of Chippa United, has said that the club and Nigeria international goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, may miss the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Port City News (TCPN) reported that Coach Eric Chelle included the 29-year-old in a provisional list of players for the tournament, scheduled to begin in December.
However, Nwabali’s coach revealed that he is struggling with ankle and hand injuries.
Vilakazi stated that with this type of injury, he doubts Nwabali will be able to participate, in an interview with Supersport.com.
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“I don’t think he will make it, but when I spoke to him, he was confident he would recover very soon. Obviously, you will understand that, as a player, he wants to be there at the Cup of Nations finals. But the reality is that, for now, he is still injured. I also hope for the best that he might still make it.
“It’s an ankle injury, but his hand also requires an operation because he has been playing with that injury for a while, and he aggravated it while he was in Morocco.”
At the last AFCON, Nwabali was the first-choice goalkeeper for the Super Eagles, who reached the final but lost 2-1 to Ivory Coast.
Since then, he has remained the team’s regular goalkeeper, making 27 appearances. However, following Nigeria’s exit from the 2026 World Cup qualifying playoff—losing on penalties to the Democratic Republic of Congo in Rabat last month—Nwabali has not played.
With Nwabali doubtful, Coach Chelle will now explore all options to find a replacement in his final 27-man squad, which is to be submitted before 11 December as announced by CAF.
This situation adds to Chelle’s challenges, with Defender Benjamin Fredrick ruled out due to a knee injury, captain William Troost-Ekong announcing his international retirement, and Defenders Felix Agu and Ola Aina also doubtful for the tournament.
