Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali will not be moving to Saudi Arabia after Al Ittifaq pulled out of transfer negotiations with his South African club, Chippa United. According to SCORENigeria, prolonged negotiations tested the patience of the Saudi club, leading to the collapse of the deal. Al Ittifaq, based in Dammam and currently sixth in the Saudi Arabian top league with two matches remaining in the season, is a stable club despite not having won any major trophies in the oil-rich kingdom.
The transfer would have been financially beneficial for both Nwabali and Chippa United. Despite this setback, Nwabali is still expected to make a significant move away from Port Elizabeth this month, even though he has two years left on his contract. Reports indicate that he has two solid offers on the table, with only the finer details left to be finalized. The 27-year-old goalkeeper has been in high demand since his stellar performances for the Super Eagles at the delayed 2023 AFCON in February.
He has continued to impress at Chippa United, recording 10 clean sheets in 25 PSL appearances this season, a notable improvement from his six appearances last season.