William Troost Ekong Backs Stanley Nwabali to Secure New Club Soon

Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has thrown his weight behind Stanley Nwabali to secure a new club in the near future.

He insisted that the Nigerian international is simply too good to remain without a team. Nwabali has been unattached since terminating his contract with South African outfit Chippa United in February.

The talented goalkeeper ended his Chippa contract four months before it was scheduled to expire.

His goal was to secure a move to a bigger club following two outstanding Africa Cup of Nations campaigns with Nigeria, which included a bronze medal finish at the 2025 edition in Morocco.

However, the timing of his departure outside the traditional transfer window severely limited his immediate options. This unfortunate situation has ultimately cost him his current place in the Super Eagles setup.

Speaking during a virtual SuperSport discussion, Troost-Ekong was careful not to be overly critical but acknowledged that hindsight had not been kind to the goalkeeper’s decision.

“Obviously, I can’t speak for Stanley, but based on how things have unfolded now, maybe it would’ve been a better decision to remain with Chippa. That’s me speaking from the outside because, of course, we don’t know what occurred between him and the club,” the former defender explained.

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The former Nigeria skipper, who officially announced his retirement from international football last December, praised Nwabali’s immense quality while expressing hope for a quick resolution before the new season begins.

“I think seeing Stanley’s rise over the last few years has been amazing. I think he’s been the soldier we need for the national team. He had a fantastic Afcon twice in a row, which is very difficult to do,” Troost-Ekong noted.

“I think probably the situation hasn’t been favourable for him because I think the time he terminated his contract with the club was outside the transfer window, which made it very difficult for him to find a new club. It’s been tough.

“I’ve spoken to Stanley a lot as well. I know he’s been training, keeping fit. Hopefully, there’s going to be a good opportunity that comes his way now in the summer,” he added.

Troost-Ekong left absolutely no doubt regarding his view on Nwabali’s overall importance to the future of Nigerian football.

“I am sure he’s going to find a club and return back to playing his club football because we need him for the national team. For me, he’s too much of a good goalkeeper to be without a club,” he concluded.