Kaizer Chiefs' Missed Opportunity: Why Stanley Nwabali Stayed With Chippa United

Holifil

30 Mar, 2025

Kaizer Chiefs were reportedly interested in acquiring Stanley Nwabali from Chippa United this summer, but the deal didn't materialize.
The Nigerian international goalkeeper was among the standout performers at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, alongside Ronwen Williams.
Instead of Nwabali, the Glamour Boys opted for Rwandan international Fiarce Ntwari from TS Galaxy, leaving the Nigerian with the Chilli Boys.

Let me tell you a story about a missed opportunity. Chippa United chairman Siviwe 'Chippa' Mpengesi recently opened up about why Kaizer Chiefs didn’t manage to sign Nigerian international goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali this summer. Here’s the kicker: they could’ve gotten him for less than what they paid for Fiarce Ntwari. Crazy, right?

The Glamour Boys were on the lookout for a new goalkeeper after Itumeleng Khune, the club legend, left the team. With Khune’s departure, there was an urgent need to find someone who could step into his massive shoes. And who better than a guy who just shone at the Africa Cup of Nations?

Stanley Nwabali didn’t just have a good tournament; he was one of the best goalkeepers in the competition. Alongside Ronwen Williams, he was a standout player, drawing attention from top clubs, including Kaizer Chiefs. But in the end, the Soweto giants decided to go with Ntwari from TS Galaxy instead of bringing in the Nigerian star.

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Stanley Nwabali during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final between Nigeria and Ivory Coast at Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Photo: Ulrik Pedersen. Source: Getty Images

What Went Wrong: Kaizer Chiefs' Misstep

In a candid interview with KickOff, Mpengesi revealed that Chippa United was actually open to selling Nwabali to Kaizer Chiefs. They wanted to see him move to a bigger club, one where he could truly shine. But things didn’t go as planned.

Mpengesi mentioned that while AmaZulu also showed interest, their offer was laughably low. He wasn’t about to let one of his key players go for peanuts. However, when talks began with Kaizer Chiefs, something unexpected happened. They signed another goalkeeper before finalizing any deal with Chippa.

“It was never about the price; two teams were interested, one of them was AmaZulu, but they were offering peanuts,” he said.

“We had talks with Kaizer Chiefs before the end of the season. But then we saw the Glamour Boys signing another goalkeeper.”

The chairman also addressed rumors that Chippa had placed a R40 million price tag on Nwabali. He shot that down, calling it nonsense. In fact, Mpengesi claimed they were willing to negotiate a lower fee than the R8 million Kaizer Chiefs reportedly paid for Ntwari.

“But the deal we were looking for was at Kaizer Chiefs, the reported price of R40 million. That's nonsense. That thing was never there. That's a lie. I am told they paid R8 million for the other goalkeeper, but I can guarantee we would have charged them less,” he added.

Chiefs' New Pursuit: Oswin Appollis

While the door may have closed on Nwabali, Kaizer Chiefs aren’t done making moves in the transfer window. According to Briefly News, the club has reached out to Polokwane City regarding Bafana Bafana winger Oswin Appollis. If you ask me, Appollis could be a great addition to their squad, but they’ll have competition. Several other clubs are also eyeing the South African international as the transfer window winds down.

Kaizer Chiefs Miss Out on Stanley Nwabali: What Happened and Why?