Former Nigeria international Victor Ikpeba has backed Stanley Nwabali as the Super Eagles’ first-choice goalkeeper, saying he is better than Udinese’s Maduka Okoye.
Ikpeba’s comments followed Nigeria’s hard-fought 2-1 victory over Madagascar in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match on Friday. Nwabali made a crucial save during the second half to prevent Madagascar from equalising, helping Nigeria hold on to its lead and secure three points.
The Chippa United goalkeeper was making his first appearance for Nigeria since the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where he kept four consecutive clean sheets. Speaking on SuperSport, Ikpeba praised Nwabali’s mentality and said he remained the national team’s number-one goalkeeper.
“Credit to Nwabali, he’s the number one goalkeeper for the national team. In my opinion, he’s better than Maduka. People at home might disagree, but he’s the number one goalkeeper for the national team,” Ikpeba said.
He was particularly impressed by Nwabali’s decisive save against Madagascar, saying the goalkeeper showed the confidence and determination required in a crucial moment.
“He showed that attribute again, the belief, the determination, ‘I’m going to stop the lad’,” Ikpeba added.
Okoye had started Nigeria’s two June friendly matches and was expected to remain part of the goalkeeping options for the AFCON qualifiers. However, the Udinese goalkeeper was unavailable for selection against Madagascar after reporting late to the Super Eagles’ camp.
The situation added to the debate over Nigeria’s goalkeeping hierarchy, with Nwabali’s latest performance strengthening the case for his continued role in goal.
