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It is time for a change in between the sticks for Nigeria's Super Eagles
As the Super Eagles of Nigeria prepare for their crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda, the question of who between Stanley Nwabili and Maduka Okoye should start in goal has become a topical issue.
While Nwabali is the current first choice after solid performances at the 2023 AFCON, Okoye's recent form and higher-level experience make a compelling case for his return to the starting lineup.
Okoye playing at a higher level
Okoye’s experience in the Italian Serie A gives him a significant edge over Stanley Nwabali, who plays in the South African Premier Soccer League.
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The Serie A is widely regarded as one of the top five European leagues, featuring some of the world's best football talent, and Okoye’s regular exposure to elite players, such as those at Juventus, Inter, AC Milan, and Napoli puts him in a different league compared to Nwabali, whose PSL opponents are of a lower calibre.
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Nwabali’s inability to secure a move abroad despite his performances at AFCON also raises questions about his ability to compete at the highest level, especially when compared to Okoye, whose consistent game time in Italy, has shown that he is capable of handling pressure against world-class strikers, which is exactly what Nigeria needs.
Okoye’s incredible performances for Udinese
Despite fierce competition in Serie A, Okoye has consistently delivered for Udinese in the Italian top flight.
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Last season, his performances were critical in helping Udinese avoid relegation, even though he played only half the season.
The stats paint a clear picture, as Udinese managed only one win out of 17 matches without Okoye, keeping just four clean sheets, while with Okoye in goal, the team kept five clean sheets, including two vital ones in their last three matches of the season.
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Okoye also currently ranks second in Serie A for the most goals prevented this season having stopped 2.9 expected goals on target, below only Torino’s Vanja Milinkovic-Savic with 3.3.
Super Eagles’ recent defensive record
Nigeria’s recent defensive struggles have also pointed to a need for a defensive re-jig.
The Super Eagles have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six matches, conceding nine goals in the process, with Nwabali in goal for all these matches.
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The last time Nigeria did not let in a goal was during their 2023 AFCON campaign, during their 1-0 quarterfinal win over Angola.
With Nigeria's defence clearly struggling at the moment, interim manager Augustine Eguavoen might look for a fresh approach and make changes to the backline during the crucial AFCON 2025 qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda.
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Okoye, with his proven track record and top-level experience, could be the answer to turning around the Super Eagles' fortunes, but only if the interim manager is bold enough to make the right call.
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