After his request for a release was granted by Chippa United, Stanley Nwabali admitted he did not have an offer in place before making his release request, and was not desperate to find a new club.

Speaking with South Africa radio host Andile Nchube, the Nigeria goalkeeper said he had no idea when he will get a new club.

"There is no contract in front, there is no club in front," he said. "And I am not guaranteeing you that a club will come today or tomorrow.

"I am not desperate to get a club, but whatever club that comes, if it suits my agent and it suits me, I am going to play."

According to the goalkeeper, he requested the release while still representing Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations and said it was a difficult decision to make, but declined to say why he choose to leave the PSL club in the middle of the season.

He explained: "It was a tough decision. It is not a nice feeling but in football, you have to make a step forward. It was something I really needed to do.

"There was very good understating between both parties and it was something we both felt was the best."

Nwabali, who may well end up sitting out the rest of the season, declined to go into details of what prompted the decision: "Nothing changed. In football, you wait for the right moment, you really need to enjoy where you are staying.

"Football is something that deals with happiness. Your happiness comes first."

Stanley Nwabali decided to leave Chippa United while on duty with Nigeria at AFCON. PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images

As he navigates this next chapter in his professional career, Nwabali gave a hint of what might determine where he goes next: "Every player wants to win a trophy, every player wants to play in a bigger stage.

"My dream is to win something. I tasted a trophy back home in Nigeria, it is a nice feeling. I wished to do it with Chippa but it was not coming.

"Every strong player wants competition, I want competition because when you get competition, you can see what you want to fix in your life and in your career."

But what is next now for the Nigerian?

Strange timing

The timing of the release could not be worse for Nwabali's prospects of playing football for the rest of the season. It puts him in a position where he could stay dormant until the offseason.

"The agreement was accepted yesterday," he said after the announcement. "But I made this request before we finished our AFCON, so that is like two or three weeks ago."

If that was the case, and Chippa United knew they were going to let the player leave, it begs the question as to why they then waited until the very end of the transfer window to approve the release.

Although he is a free agent, and can sign for any club that comes for him, the registration window for most countries has closed, which means that even if they acquired him, there may be no chance of playing him until next season.

So while Nwabali maintains that the separation was amicable, and there are no hard feelings, the question remains whether or not Chippa deliberately delayed the release?

Where could he go next?

Not long ago, Tanzanian giants Simba SC were in the running to acquire him, but would not meet Chippa's $367,000 asking price for a player with six months left on his contract and the deal never happened.

Simba could still be a good destination for the Nigerian, with their consistent participation in the CAF Champions League.

The Tanzania certainly have an immediate need for a goalkeeper. Their first-choice Moussa Camara is currently sidelined with a knee injury.

To fill the gap, Simba secured the services of Mahamadou Tanja Kassila from Niger top flight side AS FAN, with plans to deregister Camara to accommodate the new foreign signing.

The move reportedly irked the Guinea international, who, according to One Football, has requested the termination of the remaining six months of his contract.

This uncertainty puts Nwabali right back in the picture for Steve Barker's men as the ideal long-term replacement.

Kaizer Chiefs? QPR? Saudi?

Nwabali has previously spoken of how Kaizer Chiefs are one of his dream destinations, although he was a bit coy about expressing the same sentiment when asked after his Chippa departure, preferring instead to be more general.

"I can play anywhere I want to play, there is no restriction," he said. "I am open to any club, local or international."

Chiefs could be one of those local options. Away from South Africa however, some of the clubs that have been linked to the Nigerian are Morocco's Raja Club Athletic, Saudi Arabia's Al-Ettifaq, and English Championship side Queens Park Rangers.

While the African teams would all make great destinations, QPR would be the best possible option that allows him to play at a high level.

But the goalkeeper said he is still awaiting contact: "There are no calls yet. The only calls are from my family and friends and people that are shocked at the news."

Worst case scenario

If all of that fails to work out, the 29-year-old has the option of returning home to Nigeria and staying in shape for the next six months with a club in the NPFL, although he would need to take a significant pay cut to do so.

If he does decide to go in that direction, there are a number of clubs that could provide great options. League leaders Rivers United in his home state would be a top destination. Not many clubs, including Rivers, may be able to match Nwabali's current wages, but if there is any club in Nigeria that could try, it would be them.

Rivers could use Nwabali's quality as they chase another title, and he would be returning to familiar ground having played for Go Round.

Another option could be two-time Champions League winners Enyimba, who have fallen on hard times but could be rejuvenated by having a player of Nwabali's stature return to the club he once played for.

Other viable options in Nigeria would be Enugu Rangers, who currently sit third and are genuine title contenders as well as Shooting Stars, further down the table but are under new management and still pack a sizeable loyal support in Ibadan.

Acquiring Nwabali could rejuvenate the fans and be the tonic they need to propel them further up the log. (ESPN)

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