Victor Osimhen will fire Nigeria past the 2026 World Cup playoffs, but the recent shortcomings of goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali must be most disturbing, according to former Super Eagles star Sam Sodje.
The Super Eagles tackle Gabon on November 13 in Morocco in a World Cup playoffs that also include Cameroon and DR Congo.
“If Osimhen can do what he is doing, his attitude is what will win Nigeria the playoffs,” Sodje said.
“His attitude brings out the best in other players.”
The Galatasaray striker has fired six goals in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
However, Sodje has at the same time raised serious concerns over the “bad” attitude of Super Eagles No 1 Nwabali.
“When you have players like Stanley, the way he plays, talks and carries himself, there is a difference between being confident and having a bad attitude,” he said.
“He acts like someone that cannot handle fame and success. He has to calm down.”
He continued: “I have seen that in his attitude from day one. As a player I would do anything to win a game, but it gets to a point where you must be very disciplined.
“If the coach feels like Stanley will cost us the game, you better make the change now before it is too late.
“He has been giving us signs that he will do something stupid soon. This is where a psychologist comes in.
“The team needs someone who can speak to him. If he is good enough, he should understand that the team cannot afford careless mistakes in important games like the playoffs.
“If he does something wrong, we all will pay for it. It is up to the manager to see if he can calm him down.”
