The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has strongly cautioned passionate South African football enthusiasts against issuing threats to Stanley Nwabali, the Super Eagles goalkeeper.
The student association asserted its unwillingness to passively witness any hostile actions directed at the goalkeeper, emphasizing that it will not tolerate fanatic fans targeting Nwabali.
Nwabali earned national acclaim for his outstanding performance against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023, where his penalty-saving skills secured Nigeria a spot in the final.
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Despite his heroic efforts, some South African fans reportedly expressed extreme dissatisfaction, going so far as to threaten Nwabali not to return to his club, Chippa United, after the AFCON tournament.
Former Super Eagles international, Idah Peterside, revealed these threats during an interview on Channels Television on February 8, 2024, noting that while there haven’t been reports of violence, the goalkeeper and others have received menacing messages.
In response to these developments, NANS Senate President Elvis Ekundina issued a statement on Friday, condemning the threats and warning South Africans to refrain from targeting the Super Eagles goalkeeper. The student body emphasized that football should foster friendship and not bitterness.
NANS asserted its commitment to intervening if the threats against Nwabali materialize into attacks on the Nigerian footballer, highlighting their history of promoting sportsmanship and discouraging blaming other countries or individuals for team performances.
The statement concluded with a firm stance, declaring that NANS will not stand idly by and allow unsportsmanlike conduct to harm their fellow countryman for trivial reasons.