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Stanley Nwabali earns CAF Goalkeeper of the Year nomination after stellar year for club and country
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Nigeria’s number one, Stanley Nwabali, has been nominated for the 2025 CAF Goalkeeper of the Year award, capping off an impressive run of performances for both Chippa United and the Super Eagles.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced the nominees on Wednesday, with Nwabali named among ten of the continent’s finest shot-stoppers vying for the prestigious honour.
Nwabali’s reputation soared following his standout displays at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where he played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s run to the final before a narrow 2-1 loss to hosts Côte d’Ivoire.
Since then, the 28-year-old has solidified his place as the Super Eagles’ undisputed first-choice goalkeeper. He was instrumental as Nigeria booked qualification for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, and more recently, guided the team to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Playoff semifinals, where they will face Gabon.
The Nigerian shot-stopper will compete for the award against a star-studded field that includes:
Andre Onana (Cameroon), Vozinha (Cape Verde), Ahmed El Shenawy (Egypt), Munir Mohamedi (Morocco), Yassine Bounou (Morocco), Edouard Mendy (Senegal), Marc Diouf (Senegal), Ronwen Williams (South Africa)—the 2024 winner—and Aymen Dahmen (Tunisia).
At both club and international level, Nwabali has earned praise for his reflex saves, calm distribution, and leadership from the back. His consistency in South Africa’s Premier Division with Chippa United has also made him one of the most reliable goalkeepers on the continent.
With this nomination, Nwabali joins a select list of Nigerian goalkeepers to gain continental recognition, underlining his growing stature as one of Africa’s elite.
From AFCON heroics to World Cup Qualifiers campaigns, Stanley Nwabali’s rise continues to mirror Nigeria’s renewed ambitions on the African stage.
