Chippa United captain Justice Chabalala has thrown his support behind goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali amid growing speculation linking him to his former club, Orlando Pirates.

Nwabali has been in the spotlight since his standout performances at the Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire earlier this year, sparking interest from several clubs including the Pirates.

Reacting to the speculation, Chabalala expressed his thoughts on the potential transfer: “We don’t want to lose any players, but for me, if you leave Chippa and you move to Pirates, I say Pirates because I love them, it’s a good thing.

“Everyone wants to play for Pirates, and I’m happy for him [Nwabali], he’s a good boy. He has achieved what he’s achieved and he deserves to play for a big team, maybe not even in South Africa, but to go outside and make money also.”

Chabalala also shared insights from his discussions with Nwabali, comparing experiences at different clubs.

“But we’ve been talking, ‘How was it there at Pirates? How is Chiefs?’ I said, ‘I don’t know about Chiefs, but when you’re at Pirates, it’s like you are overseas,” he added.

Nwabali’s potential move to Orlando Pirates remains a topic of keen interest as the transfer window approaches.