Chippa United head coach, Vusumuzi Vilakazi, has cast major doubt on Stanley Nwabali’s availability for the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations, as the Nigerian international continues to battle injuries picked up during national team duty.
Speaking in an interview with SuperSport, Vilakazi revealed that the Super Eagles’ first-choice goalkeeper is dealing with more than one setback. According to him, Nwabali aggravated a long-standing hand problem while in Morocco and now needs surgery to fix it.
Vilakazi also disclosed that the goalkeeper is nursing an ankle injury, further reducing the likelihood of his participation at the upcoming AFCON in Morocco.
“From what I see, I’m not convinced he will make it to the tournament. But when we spoke, he sounded very optimistic about recovering quickly,” the coach explained.
Nwabali has remained Nigeria’s preferred No. 1 even before the appointment of current Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle, making his possible absence a significant concern for the national team ahead of the continental competition.
More updates on his condition are expected as the tournament draws closer.
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