By Justin Akpovi-Esade
AFTER his showing at the last AFCON in Ivory Coast, the Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali became the overnight goalkeeping sensation of Nigeria after legends like Emmanuel Okala, Vincent Enyeama, David Ngodigha, Patrick Okala and late Peter Rufai among others.
Very few of us cautiously celebrated him. We did not voice our reservations out so as not to be called names. Nigerians, especially this Gen Z generation are quick to label one a hater, loser and failure just because you refused to tow their line in showering praises on an individual they love.
Nwabali is an average goalkeeper, in my estimation, nothing fantastic about his skills. He is miles apart in comparison to Enyeama, one of the longest serving Super Eagles goalkeepers. And in terms of humility and calm headedness, the cocky Nwabali is no match to the legends mentioned earlier. But Nigerians are easily impressed people. Just ‘shine’ momentarily, Nigerians will give you a standing ovation. This trait has destroyed many people who have allowed momentary praises to get into their heads and pride and arrogance will begin to creep in, just like Nwabali’s case.
Nigerians praised him so hard, he was reeling in ecstasy.
And his village people did not help matters. They gave him one of the highest chieftaincy titles, and that was the last straw that broke the back of the young man’s sanity, well, the little left of it.
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Overnight, Nwabali turned into a rugby player, no longer a footballer. He suddenly developed the appetite to fight and even attempt to wrestle strikers of the opposing team down, like rugby players.
Nwabali suddenly gets irritated when a striker gets close to him. Even after catching the ball, he growls and hunches his shoulders at him like a bull that smells blood. He is a CHIEF of his village, and so, no striker should get close to him, the small voice in his head keeps telling him. His pride is now bigger than Mike Adenuga’s Glo tower on the Victoria Island of Lagos. He is the undisputed number one goalkeeper of the mighty Super Eagles and in his tiny village mind, nobody will drag that position with him, not in the near future.
If the Nigeria football federation, the NFF and coach Eric Chelle do not rein him in now that there is still time, that young man will cause an irreparable damage to the team and country with one of his stupid, brash and dumb behaviours.
If Nigeria qualifies for the World Cup after the envisaged tedious Play-offs, that fella will sure get a red in one of our matches after a VAR review. He has been lucky all this time because CAF does not use VAR for it’s qualifiers…
Nwabali is a monster we all built and may he not eat us all up, soon.
