'I don't want a nice guy' - Eric Chelle defends under-fire Nigeria goalkeeper Nwabali

Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has thrown his full support behind goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali following widespread criticism of his performances in Nigeria's recent World Cup qualifier matches against Lesotho and Benin Republic.

Nwabali, who was instrumental in Nigeria's qualification campaign, came under fire after fans blamed him for costly errors during the 2-1 win over Lesotho.

The Chippa United shot-stopper was also accused of losing his composure during the crucial encounter with Benin Republic, a demeanor some supporters deemed unacceptable from the team's first-choice goalkeeper.

However, speaking on Eagle 7FM, Chelle expressed satisfaction with Nwabali's overall contribution, insisting that the player was only carrying out tactical instructions from the technical bench.

'"I prefer to talk about it now. This is the emotion. Everybody talks about emotions. The reality is that nobody knows what I am asking my player,' he said.

The Malian tactician compared Nwabali's fiery personality to that of one of his former goalkeepers, emphasizing that character and intensity are crucial for leadership on the pitch.

"Maybe I ask Nwabali to be strong. I don't want a nice guy in my goal. "I play with a goalkeeper whose name is Vedran Runje. He is a Serbian goalkeeper. The guy was so crazy on the pitch because he was so crazy, the defense we were crazy too."

"I need to have a player with character. Maybe sometimes he needs to relax, the reality is Stanley gives everything for his team, teammates and his country," he explained.

While acknowledging that mistakes are part of the game, Chelle praised Nwabali's commitment and effort, reiterating that the goalkeeper remains a key part of his plans heading into the next phase of qualifiers.

"So sometimes he makes some mistakes and this is normal but the reality is he gives everything. All the players in this team gave everything and they will give everything again," he noted.

Chelle refused to dwell on past errors, stressing that the team's focus is firmly on the playoff clash against Gabon in November.

"He needs some time to be more calm, okay. But the reality now is that we have him against Gabon and we will go with all the players who can bring something."

"Stanley or maybe the other goalkeeper or players. I won't talk about what happened before, this is not important, the most important now is Gabon," he added.

Nigeria sealed their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff round after a commanding 4–0 victory over Benin Republic, finishing second in their group as one of the best runners-up.

The Super Eagles will now face Gabon for a chance to advance to the final of the playoff round, where the winners of DR Congo and Cameroon await.

The victors of that tie will represent Africa at the intercontinental stage to secure a ticket to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Adeyemi Adewale

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