Adedokun Waliyu 
Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali is reportedly set to start against Angola on Friday after being passed fit for the AFCON quarter-finals clash.
The Chippa United goalkeeper on Thursday joined and completed training session with his other teammates with concerns still roving around his fitness for the tie.
However, on Friday, hours before the match, reports coming from the Nigerian camp claim that Nwabali will start for the Super Eagles against Angola.
Also, speaking earlier on Channels TV, Super Eagles Media Officer Babafemi Raji said the goalkeeper was good to go.
“He trained yesterday. He trained a day before yesterday. But yesterday was much more intense,” he said on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s Morning Brief.
“So, it simply means he is available for selection today. For him to have trained yesterday with the rest of the team means that he is very much available for selection. In terms of who gets to start, it is the coach’s decision to make. But he is very much available for selection for today’s match.”
Nwabali has conceded just once in four appearances for the Super Eagles at the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
The Chippa United goalie has won Nigerians’ hearts with his performances at the ongoing AFCON in Ivory Coast.
The Super Eagles will take on the Black Antelopes in a quarter-final tie at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan.
After a commanding performance against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will be back in action on Friday against the Black Antelopes of Angola for a place in the semi-final of the AFCON.
Though Nigeria’s performance in the group stage left a lot more to be desired, the Super Eagles stepped up against Cameroon in what was a convincing performance that ignited hopes that the team could go ahead and claim their fourth AFCON crown in Cote D’Ivoire.
Angola, on the other hand, have been stellar in the ongoing competition, finishing first in their group and making light work of Namibia in the Round of 16.
The match promises to be an interesting one given how determined both teams are to win the AFCON title, and especially given their peculiar head-to-head records.
