Former assistant manager of the Super Eagles Acasio Santos has urged goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali to seek opportunities in more competitive European leagues, rather than settling for lesser divisions.
Santos had the opportunity to work with Nigeria's number one goalkeeper during his tenure as an assistant coach to Jose Peseiro with the Super Eagles.
He was part of Peseiro's technical team that reached the final of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024), where they were defeated by Ivory Coast.
The Portuguese trainer believes that Nwabali’s talent and skills position him well to thrive in a more challenging environment, reinforcing the need for players to pursue their full potential on the international stage.
Santos' insight on Nwabali's future
Santos, in an interview with Soccer Laduma, shared his perspective on Nwabali's potential trajectory.
He believes that talented players like Nwabali have what it takes to excel internationally and should aim for the highest levels of competition.
“Well, if we're talking about Europe, a country and a team that is more competitive than the South African league—yes, of course. But if it is not, then no.
“Okay, I want to go to Europe, but I'm going to a fourth division in a country with no history in football. Why go there? If you play in South Africa and are on one of the best teams, being one of the best goalkeepers in South Africa is a significant achievement,” he said.
“I think of Nwabali, and I speak with him often. His task is to keep working and try to find good clubs in Europe. He's a good goalkeeper; he's good in penalty kicks, good in set-pieces, and good with his feet.”
Nwabali’s prominence soared in January when he played a key role in Nigeria's journey to the AFCON final, recording four clean sheets in seven games and making two crucial penalty saves in the quarterfinals against South Africa.
He was coveted by quite a few clubs, both in South Africa (where he currently plays for Chippa United) and abroad (lower-tier English club Queens Park Rangers were reportedly interested).
In the end, though, Nwabali chose to stay with Chippa, renewing ties with a three-year extension announced this week, and being rewarded with the Chilli Boys’ captaincy for the season.
