Julius OkorieSuper Eagles Goalkeeper and Chippas United of South Africa safe hand, Stanley Nwabali, has lost his father, and may likely be off-duty against Rwanda on Monday.
Nwabali, who recently inked contract extension with Chippas United till 2027, announced his father’s demise on his Instagram page on Friday, sharing a heartfelt tribute which was accompanied by tearful emoji.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelApparently not in the mood for long statement Nwabali simply wrote: “Rest in peace, dad.”
Nwabali was in goal in Abidjan on Thursday as Super Eagles pulled a draw against Cheetahs of Benin Republic to qualify for the 35th AFCON to be held in 2025 with a match to spare against Rwanda on Monday at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.
Nwabali who bagged a Chieftaincy title of Ugo Egbema from his hometown of Egbema, Rivers State following his exploits at the last AFCON in Cote d Ivoire, where Super Eagles finished second best after Elephants of Cote d Ivoire, did not give further information following the passing of his beloved father.
It is left to be known whether Nwabali who equally bagged a national award following the same 34th AFCON exploits will remain in goal for Eagles as they take on Amavubu of Rwanda in the final but inconsequential last lap tie of the 2025 AFCON qualifiers or be relieved temporarily in his moment of grief.
Meanwhile, the Eagles are not the only team that has booked a place in next year’s AFCON in Morocco, as 18 others have already sealed places in the tournament billed for December 2025.
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At least five other teams are expected to book their places between today and Monday as the qualification phase isn’t over yet. Matchday 5 matches continue into Saturday, with Matchday 6 next week set to confirm the remaining teams, rounding off the 24-nation lineup for Morocco 2025.
Several teams have made a comeback to the continental stage. DR Congo, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea will look to make an impact, while Uganda and Gabon are back with ambitions to advance deep into the tournament.
South Africa, who were impressive at the last edition in Cote d Ivoire will be hoping to post better outing, Morocco as hosts qualify automatically but certainly a formidable line up is already set up for the 35th edition of the continental show piece.
Countries That Have Booked Places for Morocco 2025
Morocco
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Algeria
DR Congo
Senegal
Egypt
Angola
Equatorial Guinea
Cote d’Ivoire
Uganda
South Africa
Gabon
Tunisia
Nigeria
Zambia
Mali
Zimbabwe
Comoros
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
