Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is reportedly eager to secure a suitable replacement for goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali ahead of Nigeria’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff against Gabon in Morocco on November 13.

Since taking over from interim manager Augustine Eguavoen in January, the Franco-Malian tactician has revived Nigeria’s World Cup hopes.

Under his guidance, the Super Eagles recorded four wins and two draws in CAF qualification group C, finishing second to secure a playoff spot, per BBC.

Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has drawn criticism in recent months due to a series of on-field controversies and costly errors.

It began during Nigeria’s narrow 1-0 win over Rwanda, where Nwabali received a yellow card and nearly got sent off for aggressively confronting Amavubi players.

In the match against Lesotho, the Chippa United shot-stopper misjudged a ball late in the game, allowing the Crocodiles to score in the 88th minute. A further miscommunication with Hull City defender, Semi Ajayi, in stoppage time nearly cost Nigeria a vital win.

After Victor Osimhen opened the scoring in the third minute, the Cheetahs applied pressure. In a controversial moment, Nwabali dropped the ball without waiting for the referee’s whistle, leading to a goal that was later disallowed wrongly in the 25th minute.

The blunder sparked an on-field clash with stand-in captain Wilfred Ndidi, witnessed by Semi Ajayi. Nwabali also had a heated exchange with Calvin Bassey during halftime, which was quelled by captain William Troost-Ekong and Victor Osimhen.

After Osimhen’s hat-trick, Nwabali resumed time-wasting tactics, prompting further criticism from the bench of the Super Eagles before a late goal from Frank Onyeka in the 90+1 minute, per ESPN.

Stanley Nwabali may lose his place as Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper if head coach Eric Chelle finds a suitable replacement before the 2026 World Cup playoffs.

According to Score Nigeria, Chelle was hoping to secure the commitment of Germany U21 goalkeeper Noah Atubolu, but received a call-up to Germany’s senior national team.

A top NFF official reportedly stated that Nwabali’s recent dip in form is due to overconfidence, suggesting that the little success he has enjoyed may have gone to his head.

He said: “Chelle was really banking on Noah Atubolu, only for the German national team to call him up recently.”

“Certainly, there is something not right with Nwabali, seems little success has got into his head and the only way to deal with this situation is to get a very worthy competition for him.”

Legit.ng earlier reported that Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has defended Nwabali despite the goalkeeper’s costly error, saying the squad remains united and focused on the bigger goal, which is qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Al-Kholood defender reflected on Nwabali's antics, claiming he is an important player for the team and they cannot do without him.