Cadiz, a Spanish club facing relegation, has drawn comparisons between their in-form goalkeeper Jeremías Ledesma and Super Eagles’ Stanley Nwabali following Ledesma’s standout performance against Atletico Madrid during match-day 28 of the LaLiga 2023/24 season.
Nicknamed Conan, Ledesma exhibited a stellar performance, thwarting Alvaro Morata and company to secure a crucial victory for the struggling Cadiz at the Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla in front of 15,917 spectators on Saturday.
During the game, Ledesma made four crucial saves, aiding the Yellow Submarines in clinching their third league triumph of the season, their first since their September 1, 2023 victory over Villarreal on match-day 4.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
Despite Cadiz enduring a winless streak of 23 matches, with 12 losses and 11 draws, Ledesma’s clean sheet against Atletico Madrid was attributed by the club to the influence of Super Eagles’ goalkeeper Nwabali, who impressed at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
The club expressed, “He (Ledesma) learned from Nwabali in his beast mode at the AFCON,” alongside images of both goalkeepers.
Nwabali garnered acclaim after his stellar performance at the AFCON, notably saving two penalties to aid Nigeria’s victory over South Africa in the semi-finals, earning him the Man of the Match accolade.
Although Nwabali began his career in the Nigeria Premier League, playing for clubs like Go Round FC, Enyimba, Lobi Stars, and Katsina United before joining Chippa United in 2022, his ascent to prominence came when Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro included him in the Eagles squad shortly before the AFCON.
The goalkeeper justified Peseiro’s trust by delivering an exceptional performance in the tournament, maintaining four clean sheets in seven matches.