Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has explained how he managed to save penalty kicks from Egypt stars Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush during Nigeria’s victory in the AFCON 2025 third-place playoff on Saturday night.
Nigeria defeated the Pharaohs 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw at the end of regulation time, with Nwabali emerging as the hero of the shootout as both Salah and Marmoush failed to convert from the spot.
Speaking after the match, the Chippa United captain revealed that he did not rely on penalty shootout videos ahead of the encounter but instead drew confidence from watching the Egyptian players during their club matches.
Nwabali acknowledged Salah’s quality, describing him as one of the finest footballers on the continent and beyond.
“I do watch them, but not the same way I watch their penalties. I watch them play for their clubs,” he said.
The goalkeeper added that stopping the penalties was a personal target and one of the biggest moments of his career.
He said, “I think this is going to be my biggest moment to save these guys penalties. It’s just my target in this penalty shootout because saving Mohamed Salah’s penalty gives me a big boost. I feel like it really helped me out.”
Nwabali’s standout display earned him the Man of the Match award and capped an impressive tournament for the Super Eagles shot-stopper.
He conceded only four goals throughout the competition, kept four clean sheets, and did not allow a single goal during the knockout stages, ending the tournament on a high note for Nigeria.
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