Most minutes without conceding a goal at AFCON: Nwabali breaks Nigerian record that stood for exactly 22 years

Stanley Nwabali etched his name into Nigerian folklore on Wednesday evening as the Super Eagles earned a hard-fought win on penalties against South Africa to advance to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.

 Nwabali set a new record for the most minutes without a conceding a goal by a Nigerian goalkeeper at the Africa Cup of Nations, surpassing Super Eagles legend Ike Shorunmu who featured in two AFCONs. 

Shorunmu went 450 minutes without conceding a goal across six AFCON matches and by the 47th minute mark against South Africa, Nwabali broke the record that stood for exactly 22 years. 

The Chippa United glovesman now holds the absolute record for the longest clean sheet among Nigerian goalkeepers only as he remained unbeaten for 493 minutes across six games until he was finally beaten from the spot by Teboho Mokoena.

Nwabali was again a safe pair of hands in the win against Bafana Bafana and the highlight of his performance came in second half stoppage time when he made an astonishing safe to deny Mokoena from a free-kick that would have sealed the game.

The 27-year-old saved kicks taken by South Africa's dead-ball specialist Mokoena and the impressive Evidence Makgopa in the shootout - a feat that earned him the official Man of the Match accolade. 

In their eighth Africa Cup of Nations final , Nigeria will face hosts Ivory Coast at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan on Sunday, February 11. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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