Chippa United head coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi has described the sudden departure of goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali as a major setback for the Eastern Cape side.
The 29-year-old, fresh off helping Nigeria claim third place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, has parted ways with Chippa after three years at the club.
Nwabali’s AFCON campaign was notable, as he played a crucial role in Nigeria’s run to the bronze medal, adding to the silver he won in the 2023 edition when the Super Eagles lost to Ivory Coast in the final.
His performances on the international stage only highlighted his value at club level, where he had been Chippa’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper since arriving in 2022.
Vilakazi revealed that the decision to leave was made between Nwabali and club chairman Chippa Mpengesi, with the coach himself not involved in the negotiations. “It is a blow [losing Nwabali] for us, looking at how Stanley did in Morocco. He’s a super keeper, but obviously with his decisions I’m not involved in that,” Vilakazi said.
The coach added that Chippa would explore options if needed to maintain competition within the squad.
“So it was a discussion between him and the chairman, and they’ve agreed. I will only work with people who are in the system. If there is a need for us to look for a goalkeeper so that the competition can be high, we’ll do so,” he concluded.
Over 76 appearances across all competitions for Chippa, Nwabali conceded 85 goals while keeping 25 clean sheets. His consistency and commanding presence between the posts had attracted interest from several top South African clubs, including Kaizer Chiefs.
