Stanley Nwabali’s Agent Explains Why Goalkeeper Left Chippa United Before Returning Again
- Stanley Nwabali rejoined Chippa United months after mutually terminating his contract with the South African Premier Soccer League club
- The Nigerian goalkeeper had left the club in February 2025 following the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, with no new club materialising despite several transfer links
- Nwabali's agent Mohammed Lawal revealed the goalkeeper was battling personal grief and mental health challenges after losing both of his parents
Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has returned to South African Premier Soccer League club Chippa United, the same club he left on mutual terms just months ago.
Nwabali had raised eyebrows across African football when he walked away from Chippa United in February 2025, shortly after representing Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Source: Getty Images
At the time, he acknowledged he had no firm offers from other clubs lined up, and despite being linked to several sides across the continent, none of those moves came to fruition, and he returned to the Eastern Cape, Chippa United announced.
Why Nwabali left Chippa United
Speaking to ESPN, Nwabali's agent Mohammed Lawal offered a candid explanation of the personal difficulties that had weighed heavily on the goalkeeper during that period.
"It has been very difficult for Stanley. People don't always know what is going on with these players. They only see them on the field. They know them as footballers, but they don't know that they are human beings too. Like everyone else, they go through life's challenges," Lawal said.
The agent revealed that the death of both of Nwabali's parents had placed enormous responsibility on the goalkeeper's shoulders, leaving him to manage far more than the demands of professional football.
"After losing his parents, he became responsible for everything. There was a lot he needed to take care of. As a professional, he knew he had to keep playing, but it was affecting him, and if he continued, he was going to destroy himself because when you're not in the right mental state, it shows," Lawal added.
Troost-Ekong sends message to Nwabali
Legit.ng previously reported that William Troost-Ekong sent a message to Stanley Nwabali during the goalkeeper’s long spell without a club.
The former Super Eagles goalkeeper claimed that Nwabali should have remained at Chippa United instead of leaving and being without a club for months.
Source: Legit.ng
