“I was targeting Salah” – Super Eagles hero Stanley Nwabali reveals what inspired his penalty stops against Egypt

Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has revealed how he saved two crucial penalties against Egypt in the AFCON 2025 third-place playoff on Saturday, Soccernet.ng reports.

​Nigeria claimed the bronze medal at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after defeating Egypt at the Mohamed V Stadium.

The match featured few clear-cut chances, as both sides lacked their usual clinical firepower. Consequently, after a goalless 90 minutes, the game proceeded directly to a penalty shootout.

​Given that the Super Eagles had lost their last two shootouts under coach Eric Chelle, there was a sense of doubt surrounding the team's prospects.

However, Nwabali and his teammates rose to the occasion. The Chippa United star produced two top-class saves to deny Egypt’s first two attempts by Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush.

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​While Nwabali made the saves, his teammates were clinical from the spot. Akor Adams, Moses Simon, Alex Iwobi, and Ademola Lookman all converted their penalties to secure the win.

​Speaking after the game, Nwabali revealed that he had always watched Salah on television and dreamed of besting him on the big stage. When the shootout began, he recognized it as his moment and seized it.

“The penalty saves will boost me a lot. These guys (Salah and Marmoush) I always watch them a lot in the Premier League. So it's really going to boost me. Salah was the one I was targeting, so it was nice for me,” Nwabali told ESPN.

Highlights: Nigeria vs Egypt

🎥 HIGHLIGHTS: 🇪🇬(2)0–0(4)🇳🇬

Nigeria finish third in the #TotalEnergiesAFCON2025. pic.twitter.com/WBqprrwCxv

— TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 (@CAF_Online) January 17, 2026

Top Class Saves: Stanley Nwabali Proved His Worth To Super Eagles Fans

In the group stage, Stanley Nwabali was heavily criticized by Super Eagles fans, especially after his mistake against Tunisia.

However, he redeemed himself and proved his quality in his last two games at AFCON 2025.

Against Morocco in the semifinal, he made some great saves to keep Nigeria in the game. He even made a save in the penalty shootout, but his teammates failed to capitalize.

Then, in the third-place game against Egypt, the 29-year-old shot-stopper produced two top-class saves in the penalty shootouts to keep Nigeria in charge.

With his performance, there shouldn't be any question about his position as Nigeria's number one, at least not anytime soon.