“Not as good” – Super Eagles star slams ridiculous NPFL standard

Former Chippa United and Enyimba International goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has revealed why several local footballers in the NPFL want to travel abroad, Afrik Foot reports.

The 29-year-old is currently without a club after recently agreeing to mutually part ways with Chippa United.

Having worked his way up from the grassroots of Nigerian football to the National team, the one-time AFCON finalist has weighed in on the lack of incentives in the NPFL.

Super Eagles: Nwabali bemoans declining NPFL standard

Having won the NPFL with Enyimba in 2019, Nwabali went on to play for Wikki Tourists, Lobi Stars and Katsina United.

He’d eventually move abroad in 2022, joining the Chilli Boys in South Africa before breaking into the Super Eagles team the following year after a goalkeeping crisis broke out under Jose Peseiro.

While it’s becoming a rarity for players in the local Nigerian league to break into the Super Eagles team, Nwabali also aired that the financial incentives available for players is not impressive.

“In West Africa, our leagues are not as good. We want to go to Europe, we want to come to South Africa, we want to go to Morocco,” the former Chippa United shot-stopper said in quotes revealed by Brila.

“The league, the pay is a little bit nice for a certain level of your team.

“If your league is nice, you’re getting paid, you’re getting sponsors, what are you leaving for?”

Nwabali hasn’t been called up by Eric Chelle since the AFCON 2025 tournament in Morocco.

During the March International break, Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho and Adebayo Adeleye all got minutes under their belt.