It is better to remove him — Sodje advises Super Eagles boss Chelle to bench 'overconfident' star

Sam Sodje has warned that Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali’s "overconfident" demeanor could cost the country a place at the 2026 World Cup, urging coach Eric Chelle to make a difficult decision before the upcoming playoffs.

Nwabali’s position as first-choice is reportedly under threat following a series of errors, most notably a crucial fumble that led to a goal in the nervy 2-1 win over Lesotho earlier this month.

This scrutiny comes as Maduka Okoye is returning to form at Udinese, putting extra pressure on the Chippa United shot-stopper.

Speaking on Brila FM’s ‘No Holds Barred with Ifeanyi Udeze’, Sodje said the keeper's attitude is a major red flag that must be addressed immediately:

“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,” Sodje said.

“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 Super Eagles face a must-win clash against Gabon on November 13th in Morocco in the semi-finals of the World Cup playoffs, and Chelle must decide if Nwabali is the reliable choice to protect the Super Eagles' goal.