Stanley Nwabali: Why Chippa United star will be Super Eagles’ No. 1 against Madagascar

Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali may have been handed a major advantage in the race to start for Nigeria against Madagascar in their opening game of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Friday, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Super Eagles camp already opened in Uyo on Monday, and coach Eric Chelle is already putting his squad through their paces in Uyo.

As of the time of release, 23 players had already arrived in camp and had taken part in the team’s first two training sessions. As of press time, Okoye remains the only member of the 24-man squad yet to join the group. And this could cost him.

Super eagles closed training session just concluded.

Madagascar in trouble. pic.twitter.com/jdbqrVmxSh

— Ojora Babatunde (@ojbsports) September 23, 2026

Recall that he seemed to have sealed his place as the first-choice goalkeeper due to his brilliant performances for Nigeria in friendly games against Poland and Portugal in June. But now, that he is absent, that could leave Nwabali in pole position to reclaim the Super Eagles’ No. 1 shirt.

Stanley Nwabali Has Already Had a Head Start

The timing of Okoye’s absence matters. Nwabali was among the final players to arrive in camp on Tuesday but still took part in the first full training session alongside the rest of the squad.

More importantly, the Chippa United goalkeeper has now had valuable training time under Chelle ahead of a game in which the coach must settle several selection decisions.

Okoye, meanwhile, will likely join the squad on Thursday — just a day before the Madagascar clash. That gives Nwabali an obvious advantage in terms of preparation.

It also means Chelle has already been able to assess Nwabali closely in training while working on his defensive structure and set-piece organisation.

Meanwhile, the optics do not look good for Okoye. On Wednesday morning, videos of himself and Cardi B emerged.

Cardi b and maduka okoye last night…. Some people are watching this with anger rn.. pic.twitter.com/DZ6FZkhON4

— Bardibardi ⁷ (@Bardibardi66341) September 23, 2026

Both of them were spotted at the Milan Fashion Week on Tuesday night. And amid the recent speculation that both of them are romantically involved, that video did not send the right message.

Although it has now been confirmed that Okoye was there because Udinese were unveiling their third jersey, and Okoye was one of the players who had to be there to wear the jersey.

Why Chelle Does Not Need to Overthink Goalkeeper Switch

There is a solid relationship between Nwabali and Chelle that should not be overlooked.

The French-Malian coach has already trusted the Chippa goalkeeper as his first-choice option during his time in charge of the Super Eagles.

Nwabali was Nigeria’s goalkeeper during their run at the 2025 AFCON and was one of the key figures in their bronze-medal campaign. He even saved two penalties during the third-place victory over Egypt.

His return to the squad for these qualifiers therefore gives Chelle an opportunity to restore a goalkeeper he already knows rather than immediately changing the hierarchy.

That familiarity can matter when a coach is introducing tactical changes and demanding specific things from his players. If Nwabali takes charge against Madagascar and performs well, it is difficult to see Okoye reclaiming that starting shirt.