Super Eagles and Chippa United goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, has offered his reasons on why a lot of players from West Africa are desperate to travel abroad to ply their trades in comparison to players in South Africa and the Northern part of the continent.
The 27-year-old started his career in the Nigeria Premier Football League with Go Round FC before joining Wikki Tourists in 2019. After a single season with Wikki Tourists, he moved to Enyimba where he spent another lone season.
Following spells with Lobi Stars and Katsina United, the Eagles goalkeeper made the move to South Africa where he joined Chippa United in 2022.
Just two years in the DStv Premiership, Nwabali has quickly risen to prominence and was invited into the national team by ex-Eagles coach Jose Peseiro for the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast early this year.
Nwabali played a key role in helping Nigeria reach the AFCON final where they fell to the hosts, Ivory Coast.
In a recent interview with a South African publication, FARPost, Nwabali, having spent two seasons in South Africa, was asked about the reasons behind the lower number of South African footballers playing in Europe compared to West Africa.
“Ronwen Williams is at Sundowns, he gets everything he wants, he’s got the name, the sponsor, his family is here, everyone is supporting him, he’s the captain of Bafana Bafana, and the league is okay. The league, the pay is a little bit nicer depending on the level of your team,” Nwabali said
“In West Africa, our leagues are not as good. We want to go to Europe, we want to come to South Africa, we want to go to Morocco, all those kinds of leagues, if your league is nice there’s no point of you leaving. If your league is nice, you’re getting paid, you’re getting sponsors, what are you leaving for?’
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
