By Dayo Awoniyi
The pursuit of Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has taken a significant step forward, with a top French club now joining the race to sign the Chippa United shot-stopper.
Nwabali, who has been in stellar form for Nigeria during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, has garnered the attention of scouts from various European clubs.
His performances in recent qualifiers, particularly against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, have further solidified his reputation as one of Africa’s promising goalkeeping talents.
Sources close to the player have confirmed that a prominent French club has made inquiries about Nwabali, with more clubs showing interest by the day.
The goalkeeper, who has also attracted attention from South African powerhouses Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, is expected to be a sought-after talent in the upcoming transfer windows.
“There is definitely interest from a club in France. Every day, there are more clubs interested in Stanley. At some point, Chippa United will have to let him go,” a source disclosed.
With Nwabali’s future looking uncertain at Chippa United, the club is already considering acquiring another goalkeeper to prepare for his likely departure in the near future.
As interest continues to rise, it remains to be seen where the highly-rated goalkeeper will end up next season.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
