Chippa United may not be one of the biggest clubs in South Africa, but they have had their fair share of Nigerian players over the years.
In fact, they have employed two Nigerian goalkeepers who were, at various points, important figures for the Super Eagles. Daniel Akpeyi was the first of the two; he spent four years at the club before moving to Kaizer Chiefs.
The 39-year-old just confirmed his retirement last week, one year after his final stint with Marumo Gallants. Stanley Nwabali was the most recent Nigerian at the team; he departed in February after a four-year tenure.
In this article, Soccernet.ng highlights six other Nigerians who have featured for the club.
1. James Okwuosa
Defender James Okwuosa joined Chippa United from Ajax Cape Town in 2012 and spent seven years at the club. A former Nigerian international, he earned three caps for the Super Eagles. With 122 appearances, he remains the Nigerian player with the highest number of appearances for Chippa United.
2. Ugonna Uzochukwu
The retired midfielder joined the Chilli Boys from Enugu Rangers in 2014 and left for Olympique Khouribga in 2016. During his 30-month stay, he made 28 appearances for Chippa United.
Although he earned only one cap for the senior Super Eagles squad, he was a key player during Nigeria’s third-place finish at the CHAN tournament.
3. Augustine Chidi Kwem
The 28-year-old forward has played for three different clubs, one of which was Chippa United. Chidi Kwem spent two years in Gqeberha, scoring 13 goals in 60 appearances. He left in 2021 to join TS Galaxy.
While he has never played for the Nigerian national team, he currently plies his trade for Mash’al in the Uzbekistan Super League.
4. Etiosa Ighodaro
Ighodaro spent a year on loan at Chippa United from Mamelodi Sundowns. During that stint, he contributed 11 goals in 27 games. The 24-year-old striker now plays for Kaizer Chiefs and has not yet been capped by Nigeria.
5. Solomon Okpako
Okpako spent just one year at Chippa United. His time with the club was part of a nomadic career that saw him play for 11 different teams before his final stint at Bendel Insurance.
6. George Akpabio
The 33-year-old striker is another well-traveled player, having featured for clubs in Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. He spent three years with the Chilli Boys, during which time he made 23 appearances and scored three goals.
