Duro Ikhazuagbe
Super Eagles first choice goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, has returned to his former South African club, Chippa United, after failing to secure any lucrative deal in Europe.
Nwabali who quit the South African PSL club after helping Eagles to a bronze medal finish at the 2024 AFCON in Morocco last January, was tipped for lucrative offers from Tanzania, Saudi Arabia and Morocco. But other sources claimed that he was eyeing moves to the English Premier League with Manchester United the preferred destination. All that failed to yield any dividend.
But in a social media post on Sunday evening, Chippa United FC announced on the club’s @ChippaUnitedFC handle on X that it was welcoming Nwabali back to fold after taking time out after the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
“After taking time away, Stanley Nwabali returns to the Eastern Cape, and we are pleased to welcome him back to the club,” observed the South African club yesterday evening.
There were however mixes reactions to Nwabali’s return to Chippa United by the clubs supporters. While many hailed the Nigerian shot stopper for his bold move to rejoin the PSL club, others trolled him.
Some mocked him for his failed move to join English Premier League giants Manchester United.
In Nwabali’s absence, Super Eagles Head Coach, Eric Chelle, used Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho and new boy, Arthur Okonkwo of Wrexham FC, England to prosecute Nigeria’s international outings at the Unity Cup in London and the two pre-World Cup preparatory clashes with Poland and Portugal.
Nwabali will need to fight to regain the number one shirt following Chelle’s satisfaction with the forms exhibited by all three goalkeepers in the Eagles fold.