On Wednesday, Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali made history by breaking a 22-year-old record, helping Jose Peseiro’s team secure a spot in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final with a victory over South Africa in the semi-final match.
The Chippa United shot-stopper established a new milestone for the longest time without conceding a goal by a Nigerian goalkeeper in the tournament.
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He surpassed former Super Eagles keeper Ike Shorunmu, who participated in two AFCON tournaments.
Shorunmu held the previous record of 450 minutes without conceding a goal across six AFCON matches.
However, Nwabali surpassed this mark by the 47th minute of the match against South Africa, breaking a record that had stood for exactly 22 years.
Nwabali now holds the definitive record for the longest clean sheet among Nigerian goalkeepers, remaining unbeaten for 493 minutes across six games until he was finally scored against from the penalty spot by Teboho Mokoena. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes.
During the subsequent shootout, the 27-year-old displayed remarkable skill by saving two penalties as Nigeria defeated the Bafana Bafana 4-2, securing their place in the final against Ivory Coast.
