Nwabali gets rewarded following Chippa United’s 1-1 draw vs Sundowns

Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali produced another impressive display in goal as Chippa United secured an impressive 1-1 draw against African champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the South African league on Saturday, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 30-year-old returned to the Chilli Boys during the summer transfer window after initially leaving the club by mutual agreement earlier in the year. However, after failing to find a new club, Nwabali eventually agreed a deal to return to the Chilli Boys earlier this summer.

His lack of club football had previously cost him his place in the Super Eagles setup, with his last call-up coming during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and he has not been called up since then.

Since returning to action, Nwabali has featured in all six of Chippa United’s games this season and has reclaimed his place as the club’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper.

Nwabali shines against Mamelodi Sundowns

Chippa United went into Saturday’s encounter without a win in their previous five league games as they searched for their first victory of the campaign.

They faced a difficult task against reigning African champions Mamelodi Sundowns, a side they had never beaten in a league game before.

Chippa United were just seconds away from securing a historic victory before Sundowns found a late equaliser to deny them all three points.

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Sergio Kammies opened the scoring for the Chilli Boys in the 78th minute, but Antonio Van Wyk struck in stoppage time to ensure both sides shared the points.

Despite the result, Nwabali was one of Chippa United’s standout performers, making six saves during the encounter which also earned him the player of the match award.

The Nigerian goalkeeper will feel he could have done better for Sundowns’ equaliser after he failed to deal with a cross that eventually led to Van Wyk’s late goal.

However, he had already produced several important saves before then. Nwabali denied Brayan Leon in the first half and also made more than one crucial stop to keep out Teboho Mokoena in the second half.

He also made 12 recoveries and two high claims during an impressive outing, earning an 8.0 rating from FotMob.

The performance comes after another strong display in Chippa United’s league opener against Golden Arrows, where the Super Eagles goalkeeper also impressed between the posts.

Timely performance ahead of AFCON 2027 qualifiers

Nwabali’s recent run of form will come as good news to Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, particularly with the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers approaching.

The goalkeeper has been Nigeria’s first choice since the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, where he played a key role in helping the Super Eagles reach the final before they eventually lost to the host nation.

He remained Nigeria’s preferred goalkeeper after that tournament but lost his place earlier this year due to his lack of regular club football. His performances since returning to Chippa United, however, are a reminder of his quality and his ability to perform on the big stage.

With Nigeria set to face Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in the AFCON 2027 qualifiers this month, Nwabali has made a strong case for a return to the national team.

He will now have to compete with Arthur Okonkwo and Maduka Okoye for a place in Chelle’s squad as the Super Eagles coach prepares to name his team for the crucial qualifiers.