The owner of South African football club, Chippa United, Siviwe “Chippa” Mpengesi, has backed Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali ahead of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-finals match between Nigeria and South Africa at Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, Ivory Coast, on Wednesday.
Nwabali plies his trade with Chippa United in the South African football league, and the club has declared support for Nigerian goalkeeper over the Bafana Bafana of South Africa in today’s semi-final cracker.
The club stated this on its X account noting that Nwabali’s outstanding performance for the Super Eagles at the 2023 AFCON has earned global attention.
Mpengesi said he supported the Nigerian team due to Nwabali’s remarkable goal-keeping outing at the AFCON.
“As the chair of Chippa United FC and a proud South African, I find myself in a unique position during the 2023 AFCON tournament in that our own Nigerian international, Stanley Nwabali, has been a revelation,” Mpengesi said.
“His performance for the Nigerian team has caught the eyes of the globe, earning him and our club international acclaim.
“With Stanley’s rising profile and the international attention it brings to Chippa United, the benefits have been nothing but positive.
“Therefore, Chippa United FC and I stand behind our player, Stanley Nwabali, and the Nigerian Super Eagles against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We wish the Super Eagles all the best.”
Nwabali has conceded one goal in Ivory Coast, in the Super Eagles’ opening 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea, then kept four clean sheets against Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon, and Angola.
