Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, has matched the 44-year record set by former goalkeeper Best Ogedegbe after securing another clean sheet in Nigeria’s 1-0 quarter-finals victory over Angola at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
The Eagles’ triumph over the Palancas Negras on Friday propelled them to the semi-finals of the 34th edition of AFCON as they strive to win the tournament for the fourth time, following victories in 1980, 1994, and 2013.
With another clean sheet against Angola, the 27-year-old becomes the first Super Eagles goalkeeper to achieve four consecutive clean sheets in a major tournament in 44 years, surpassing Alloy Agu’s three-game streak in 1990. The last goalkeeper to achieve this feat in an Eagles jersey was Ogedegbe in 1980 when the team secured its first continental title.
Nwabali conceded a goal in the opening game against Equatorial Guinea but has not been beaten since, keeping clean sheets against Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon, and Angola. He will aim to claim the record outright when the Eagles face South Africa in the semi-finals on Wednesday.