Why end it now? Former Super Eagles star questions Stanley Nwabali’s Chippa exit

Former Nigerian international Bassey Akpan has criticised the timing of Stanley Nwabali’s departure from Chippa United, describing the decision as poorly calculated.

Nwabali ended his four-year stay at the South African side after mutually terminating his contract. The former Lobi Stars goalkeeper has since confirmed he is now a free agent and will wait patiently for the right opportunity to continue his career.

Speaking in an interview with Brila FM, Akpan expressed concern over the risks associated with a national team goalkeeper being without a club, particularly with the transfer window already closed.

“This is not the right time for him to terminate his contract. The transfer window has just closed, so why end it now?” Akpan said.

The ex-Super Eagles goalkeeper argued that a better approach would have been to finalise the decision before the transfer window opened, giving Nwabali enough time to secure a move elsewhere.

“If the decision had been taken before the window opened, he would have had the opportunity to join another club and keep playing. It’s not good for a goalkeeper of his level to be without a team. For a national team goalkeeper, not playing regularly is a serious issue,” he explained.

Akpan further warned that Nwabali could face months on the sidelines, with the next major transfer window not opening until the summer.

“The next window is around May or June, which means he could stay without a club for several months. Unless this is related to injury or rehabilitation, it’s difficult to understand the timing. Right now, we don’t know the exact reasons behind the termination,” Akpan added.