'We can't blame Nwabali' - Afcon winner insists it was impossible to save Lemina's deflected shot

Nigeria thrashed Gabon 4-1 after extra time on Thursday evening to book their place in the African final of the 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs.

Akor Adams gave the Super Eagles the lead in the 78th minute following a defensive mix-up.

Making his 26th start in Nigeria colours, Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali was a minute away from keeping his eleventh clean sheet for the Super Eagles, only to concede in the last minute of normal time.

Mario Lemina equalised for Gabon in the 89th minute with a deflected strike that wrong-footed the Super Eagles goalkeeper, forcing the match into extra time.

Nigeria regained control eight minutes into the extra period through Chidera Ejuke, before Victor Osimhen's brace sealed a convincing win for the thre-time African champions.

In his post-match analysis on SuperSport, monitored by allnigeriasoccer.com, 2013 Africa Cup of Nations-winning striker Brown Ideye defended Nwabili's performance, insisting that 'we cannot blame Nwabali' as the deflection made the goal nearly impossible to save.

He emphasized that no goalkeeper could reasonably have been expected to stop the deflected shot.

Nigeria will now face the Democratic Republic of Congo in Sunday's CAF World Cup playoff final in Rabat, with the winner advancing to March's Fifa inter-continental playoff.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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