Stanley Nwabali, the unexpected hero of Nigeria, has come a long way. The Super Eagles goalkeeper was the unlikely hero of the Nigeria-South Africa semi-final by stopping two shots on goal.
He eclipsed his counterpart Babafa Bafana, author of four saves in the quarter-final against Cape Verde, four days earlier. A great performance which earned him the title of man of the match, and a first recognition of his talent. “It’s a story that I will tell my children,” he says, happily.