Chippa United captain tips Stanley Nwabali for Orlando Pirates switch

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Chippa United captain Justice Chabalala is confident his teammate and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali will be a perfect fit for Orlando Pirates.

The Nigeria goalkeeper has been subject of interest since his impressive performances at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire earlier this year, with reports linking him with a move to Pirates.

The former Enyimba save hands kept four consecutive clean sheets at the tournament to become Nigeria’s goalkeeper with the highest number of minutes without conceding at international tournaments.

Chabalala, who joined The Buccaneers from Free State Stars in 2016 before being loaned to various South Africa Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs is of the view that a player of Nwabali’s caliber deserves a big stage.

“We don’t want to lose any players, but for me, if you leave Chippa and you move to Pirates – I say Pirates because I love them, it’s a good thing,” Chabalala told SABC Sports.

“It’s a good achievement in South Africa, if you move to a club like [Kaizer] Chiefs as well, the same goes for [Mamelodi] Sundowns, maybe even SuperSport [United].”

Pirates recently released two goalkeepers, Richard Ofori and Siyabonga Mpontshane, suggesting reinforcements in that department are imminent and Chabalala says he has advised Nwabali about his potential big move.

“I’m not saying all the other teams are not good or anything, they are okay, they are very good teams, but when you move from Chippa to Pirates, everyone knows it’s a good move,” he added.

“Everyone wants to play for Pirates, and I’m happy for him [Nwabali] – he’s a good boy. He has achieved what he’s achieved and he deserves to play for a big team, maybe not even in South Africa, but to go outside and make money also.

“But we’ve been talking, ‘How was it there at Pirates? How is Chiefs?’ I said, ‘I don’t know about Chiefs, but when you’re at Pirates, it’s like you are overseas.”

One thing is certain at the end of this season, Nwabali is set to move from Chippa United come next season.