By Dayo Awoniyi
Chippa United have released 18 players as part of a major squad overhaul ahead of the 2025/26 South African Premier Division season.
The Port Elizabeth-based club confirmed the departures on Tuesday, following the appointment of a new head coach tasked with reshaping the team’s fortunes.
In addition to the mass clear-out, three players who were on loan last season have been sent back to their parent clubs, as the club undertakes a significant restructuring process.
However, Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has been retained and is expected to remain a key figure in the squad.
The 27-year-old Nigerian international impressed last season and was widely regarded as one of Chippa United’s standout performers.
Nwabali’s continued presence will come as welcome news to Nigerian fans and may signal the club’s intent to build around a solid defensive core as they prepare for the upcoming campaign.
Chippa United finished 12th in the league last season, narrowly avoiding the relegation playoff zone.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
