Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali says Nigeria’s lack of clean sheets at AFCON 2025 is not a concern, insisting the defence remains solid

Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali on Saturday dismissed concerns over Nigeria’s inability to keep a clean sheet at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, saying conceding goals is a normal part of tournament football.

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The 29-year-old spoke after Nigeria secured qualification for the round of 16 with a 3–2 victory over Tunisia in their second Group C match.

Nigeria have conceded three goals in two matches at the tournament, while scoring five.

The Super Eagles opened their campaign with a 2–1 win over Tanzania before edging Tunisia in a dramatic encounter that saw a late fightback from the North Africans.

Goals from Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman had given Nigeria a commanding 3–0 lead, but strikes from Montassar Talbi and Ali Abdi set up a tense finish.

Tunisia came close to equalising in stoppage time when captain Ferjani Sassi headed narrowly wide.

“Tournaments like this, you are bound to concede goals. Even the best teams in the world concede goals,” Nwabali said in the mixed zone.

“I don’t see any problem in the defence. At the last AFCON we kept clean sheets in our first two games, but things have improved overall. We also want to keep clean sheets and it pains me when I concede, but we keep going as a team,” he said.

Nwabali added that both Nigeria and Tunisia scored from set pieces, describing such situations as difficult to eliminate completely.

“We scored from set pieces and they also scored from a set piece. That is probably one of their strengths. Sometimes you can’t correct everything, but we try to deal with it,” he said.

The goalkeeper, who established himself as Nigeria’s first-choice ahead of the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, said there was no rivalry among the current goalkeeping group, which includes Francis Uzoho and Amas Obasogie.

“These guys are amazing and they are like my family. We cover one another. There are no bad thoughts or bad energy,” he said.

Also read: Stanley Nwabali injury puts Nigeria World Cup qualifiers in doubt

Already assured of a place in the knockout phase, Nigeria will face Uganda in their final group match on Tuesday, with head coach Eric Chelle yet to confirm whether Nwabali will be rested.