By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, has disclosed that he is currently without a club following the mutual termination of his contract with South African outfit Chippa United.
The 28-year-old shot-stopper made this known during an interview with SABC Metrofm after ending his four-year spell with the club, a decision reached by both parties with six months still left on his contract.
Nwabali said the separation was amicable and centred on personal fulfilment and career progression rather than footballing issues. According to him, the agreement allowed both sides to move on peacefully.
“To be honest with you, I don’t have a club or a contract in front,” Nwabali said. “It’s an agreement that both parties will feel at peace, we wish each other well and I can look forward to my career. I’ve been at this club for four years, and it’s really nice working here, but we all really need to move forward as players or managers.
“Football deals with happiness, my happiness comes first.”
The Nigeria international has recently lost his place as Chippa United’s first-choice goalkeeper to Dumisani Msibi, who returned from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and has kept four clean sheets in four league matches.
However, Nwabali dismissed suggestions that the competition for places or his demotion influenced his exit, insisting the decision was already in discussion before his AFCON participation.
“No, it’s not like that,” he explained. “Before I went for AFCON, I was injured, let me say, from the Pirates game and I was trying to fix myself for coming back strong for the team and also go to AFCON.
“So coming back from AFCON, it’s an understanding between the chairman and me – you’re coming back from a bigger tournament and have been playing for one month, ok, you really need to rest for like one or two games.”
He further described his relationship with the club’s chairman as cordial and transparent, noting that discussions about his future were handled with mutual respect.
“That was before the decision was made, and ever since I arrived at this club, we have been talking like father and son, understanding literally every day,” Nwabali said.
“So, as I said, when I talked to him, yes, it was difficult to take that kind of decision, but he feels like it’s probably going to be best for me, which, as I said, I made this decision by myself.”
Meanwhile, multiple reports indicate that the former Chippa United goalkeeper is expected to complete a move to Moroccan top-flight side Raja Club Athletic, although no official confirmation has been made.
