Yoruba actor and matchmaker Adams “Lege Miami” Kehinde and Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali have clashed on social media following the Nigerian national team’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Nigeria’s hopes were dashed on Sunday night in Rabat after the team lost 4–3 on penalties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), following a 1–1 draw after extra time.
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The defeat confirmed Nigeria’s absence from a second consecutive tournament in 2026. The tournament will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The tournament will be the first to be hosted by three nations and the first to feature 48 teams, an expansion from 32.
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Reacting to the setback, Lege Miami posted a video on Instagram on Monday calling on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to replace all the players except Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen, Fulham defender Calvin Bassey, and Brentford midfielder Benjamin Fredrick.
In the video, the actor praised the three players but criticised the rest of the squad, comparing their performance to people merely posing for a photograph.
He also faulted their inability to take shots from outside the box and condemned Nwabali’s conduct during the match.
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Lege Miami argued that although Nwabali saved two penalties during the shootout, the goalkeeper lacked composure and was attempting to control every player on the pitch.
He went on to mention the goalkeeper’s late father by name, claiming he honoured him in his hometown in Rivers State with a drum set, piano, and trumpet.
“I’ll beat you”
Responding to the criticism, the 29‑year‑old goalkeeper stated his Instagram Story on Tuesday, warning the actor to stop mentioning his late father.
He stated that while Lege Miami could insult him as he wished, any further mention of his father would lead to him beating the actor “mercilessly.”
“Lega Miami, remove my late dad’s name from your mouth if you’re doing your content. If you don’t respect people’s dads, you should learn to respect the dead. I’m not your regular type of footballer.
“I will beat you mercilessly. You’re free to insult me, but remove my late dad’s name from your mouth”, wrote Nwabali, who is a goalkeeper for Premier Soccer League club Chippa United.
Lege fires back
Lege Miami hit back at Nwabali, describing him as extremely rude, but apologised for referring to his late father.
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He further accused Nwabali of engaging in underhanded dealings and failing to concentrate on the poll they had requested him to address
“Hello, my goalkeeper. First of all, if I mention your late dad’s name, that makes you upset. I am sorry. But you are insulting. You are rude to your colleagues. You want to be in control of the whole pitch. You do not want to listen to corrections. When they correct you, you want to act like a big man. Your hanky-panky on the pitch is too much. You are not facing your keeping. You are supposed to be giving your colleagues the courage they need. You also need to be stable.
“You were playing football inside box 18. Are you the only goalkeeper in Nigeria? You make a lot of mistakes. You are not in a position to come to my DMs with insults about my personality. Who are you? Do not message me on DM again if you do not want to be insulted. I would have rubbished you if not for Osimhen and Calvin Bassey. Make a video and apologise to all Nigerians that you are sorry”, said Lege Miami in a video posted on his Instagram page on Wednesday.
This newspaper reported that, following the Super Eagles’ exit from the World Cup, President Bola Tinubu urged the team to remain focused and begin preparations for the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
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