Saudi Arabia Pro-League side Al-Ettifaq FC has purportedly pulled out of the race to sign Chippa United and Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali next season.
This was made known in a report published by SCORENigeria which disclosed that Al-Ettifaq FC, coached by England soccer legend Stephen Gerrard, has decided against signing Nwabali.
According to the sources, Al-Ettifaq backed out of the signing of Nwabali because the Saudi club’s patience had run out during the drawn-out discussions.
Chippa United has set a price tag of £1.3 million (R30 million or ₦2.245 billion) for Nwabali, with Union Saint-Gilloise, Queens Park Rangers, and Kaizer Chiefs among the other teams interested in signing the talented goalkeeper.
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This comes days after Nwabali stressed the need for the improvement of various football leagues across the continent of Africa so African players can stay back.
The goalkeeper emphasized in a recent interview with FARPost that West African players aim to move to Europe and other parts of Africa because of higher standards.
Nwabali also mentioned Ronwen Williams, a player for Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa, as an example. He highlighted Williams’ name, sponsor, family ties in SA, and the league’s suitability.