Work Permit Delay Keeps Nigeria’s Olisa Ndah Waiting for Stellenbosch Debut

Nigeria international Olisa Ndah is still waiting to make his first appearance for Stellenbosch FC more than a month after joining the club.

The 28-year-old defender completed his move in February, but he has not yet featured for the team because his work permit has not been approved.

Stellenbosch head coach Gavin Hunt admitted that the delay has been frustrating for the club, especially because the process has taken longer than expected.

“I’d love to get him into the team, but some people get work permits much quicker than other people,” Hunt said.

The situation has surprised many at the club. Although Ndah previously played in South Africa for Orlando Pirates, he still requires a new permit after changing employers.

Hunt explained that the process should normally be straightforward.

“I mean, it’s just a change of employee. So it should be something quick, isn’t it? If you compare big leagues around the world, if a foreign player comes in they all get the work permit gets done through a particular person for all the clubs.

“So I think that should happen, but it’s never happened like that. So it’s a bit disappointing because he’s been in close to a month, and he should have played by now.”

Ndah had initially been expected to make his debut earlier, possibly during Stellenbosch’s league match against Magesi FC at the Danie Craven Stadium in the Betway Premiership.

However, the paperwork has not yet been completed, meaning the defender is still waiting for his first chance to play for his new club.

Hunt remains hopeful that the issue will soon be resolved so Ndah can finally be available for selection when Stellenbosch face Lamontville Golden Arrows in Umlazi.

Ndah joined Stellenbosch on a free transfer after leaving Orlando Pirates at the end of January. The centre-back cancelled his contract with the Buccaneers in search of more regular playing time after injuries and a dip in form limited his opportunities.

During his four-and-a-half years with Pirates, Ndah made 81 appearances and started 73 matches. His last game for the club came in September 2024 against Polokwane City, where he captained the side in a 3–0 Betway Premiership win.

However, the match also marked a difficult moment in his career as he suffered a fractured tibia and spent a long period recovering from the injury.

At international level, Ndah has represented the Nigeria national football team and was part of the squad at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. His most recent appearance for Nigeria came in September 2024 during a 3–0 AFCON qualification victory over Benin national football team.

Before moving abroad, Ndah made his name in the Nigerian league with Remo Stars and later Akwa United FC, where he won the Nigeria Professional Football League title.

Now at Stellenbosch, the defender hopes the work permit issue will soon be resolved so he can begin the next chapter of his career. ⚽