Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Ayegbeni has voiced significant concerns regarding the on-field demeanor of Nigeria's goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali. Nwabali has reportedly come under scrutiny for several actions during the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, including instances of anger directed at teammates and confrontational moments with opponents. Ayegbeni has highlighted what he perceives as the goalkeeper's tendency to get angry for no apparent reason during matches, and pointed out that goalkeepers sometimes get angry for no reason.

In response to these perceived antics, the Nigerian legend has strongly urged Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle and the entire coaching staff to engage in a direct discussion with Nwabali. Speaking on a podcast, Ayegbeni emphasized the need for coaches to communicate with the goalkeeper, suggesting that some goalkeepers exhibit "non-normal" behavior. He advised Nwabali to "try to be, try to listen to your players and try to be nice," referencing situations where simple catches were fumbled, and the team was fortunate not to concede, such as the mistake against Rwanda that almost cost the Super Eagles.

Ayegbeni further elaborated on his criticisms, asserting that Nwabali falls short of the standard set by legendary Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama. He unequivocally stated, "You cannot compare Nwabali to Enyeama. Enyeama is still our number one. Our number one for sure than Nwabali." The former striker recalled specific game incidents where Nwabali displayed anger, questioning why a goalkeeper would get upset when an opponent is merely challenging for the ball, stating, "Angry for what? Do you expect the striker to just leave you? No. He uses his body to like to charge you. Then he would get angry."

The critique extended to Nwabali's perceived "South Africa mentality," which Ayegbeni believes is ingrained and difficult to change, especially given Nwabali's age. He noted, "I think for us to think for him to change his mentality, it will be hard because he has grown past 20 something or so. He is not a young goalkeeper anymore. He still keeping that South Africa mentality for him." Despite these strong reservations about his temperament and skill comparison to Enyeama, Ayegbeni acknowledged Nwabali as a "good goalkeeper" and, for now, "still our number one, first choice." However, he expressed a desire for other goalkeepers to "step up and see if they can become number one," indicating a potential need for alternatives if Nwabali's behavior persists.