Olisa Ndah set to forfeit South African citizenship chance with Libya move

Olisa Ndah is set to miss out on the opportunity to apply for South African citizenship after choosing to continue his career in Libya.

The 28-year-old defender is close to completing a move outside South Africa, a decision that will interrupt the period of residence required for him to become eligible for citizenship.

Ndah is expected to leave the country after arriving in 2021 to join Orlando Pirates. He was recently linked with a move to Mamelodi Sundowns, but his next destination now appears likely to be Libya, with the identity of the club yet to be disclosed.

Ndah will reach the point at which he could apply for South African citizenship in September. However, moving abroad means he will not be able to fulfil the necessary conditions.

The defender obtained his work permit in September 2021 after joining Orlando Pirates. South African regulations require a foreign national to have completed five years of continuous permanent residence before being eligible to apply for citizenship.

His agent, Mike Makaab, confirmed to Soccer Laduma that the proposed transfer would affect Ndah’s prospects of obtaining South African nationality.

“Yes it will. It’s a career choice he is now making and it’s a new chapter in his life. Again, one has to take what you’ve learnt from previous experiences and move on. It’s no good looking over your shoulder.

“The most important thing for Olisa is to get back on the field regularly and play at a high level and let’s see where this leads him. It could open the doors for many more different things.

Makaab said the priority for Ndah was to return to regular first-team football and perform consistently at a high level, with the move potentially leading to further opportunities in the future.

He also said an agreement with the Libyan club could be completed within days, although the remaining paperwork still needs to be finalised.

“We are close to finalising a move to Libya, but I can’t mention the name of the club, unfortunately. We are hoping over the next few days all the paper work will be finalised.”

Ndah left Orlando Pirates in January and subsequently joined Stellenbosch FC. The club had an option to extend his contract for another season but decided not to take it up.

The move to Stellenbosch followed his spell with Orlando Pirates, whom he joined after moving to South Africa in 2021. His impending departure from the country now means he is set to give up the chance to apply for citizenship in September, despite having spent the previous five years building his career there.