"The offer from Sundowns was not great enough to require that kind of risk from him." That line says everything about how Olisa Ndah's move to Libyan side Al Shomooa SC came together — and how Mamelodi Sundowns lost out.
The 28-year-old Super Eagles defender has signed a two-year contract with Al Shomooa, ending five years in South African football. Sundowns wanted him. Al Shomooa paid more. Simple as that.
The Sundowns problem
It wasn't just the money that killed the Sundowns deal — it was the timing and the risk that came with it. The Premier Soccer League's foreign player regulations meant Ndah couldn't walk straight in. Sundowns were prepared to wait until the end of September, when he was expected to qualify for South African citizenship and be exempt from the restriction. That's a three-month gamble on paperwork and bureaucracy, and Al Shomooa didn't ask him to take it.
When you've already sat out most of your Stellenbosch spell due to a work permit dispute — seven appearances before the contract expired — you're not in a hurry to walk into another administrative grey zone. Ndah has been burned by that already.
Sundowns' title ambitions and domestic dominance make them an attractive destination on paper, but attractive on paper doesn't pay the bills. Their odds of winning the PSL next season remain strong regardless — they've built enough depth that one missed signing rarely shifts the picture.
What Libya actually offers
Al Shomooa isn't a random cash grab. The club has put together a project with real regional pull — South African forward Thembinkosi Lorch is already there, along with several Nigerians operating in the Libyan league. There's a community, a sporting ambition, and according to sources close to Ndah, a genuine push for the domestic title.
The context matters too. Ndah arrived in South Africa in 2021 from Akwa United, joined Orlando Pirates, and built a serious career — 81 competitive appearances, four trophies, a Super Eagles call-up. Then injuries bit, competition for places increased, and he left Pirates by mutual consent in January 2026. What followed at Stellenbosch was largely wasted time through no fault of his own.
He needs games. He needs stability. He needs to get back into Eric Chelle's Super Eagles plans, and that only happens with consistent football, not by sitting in Pretoria waiting on a citizenship ruling.
"Al Shomooa gave him an offer he could not refuse," the source told Footy-Africa. At this stage of his career, after the disruption of the past two years, that was probably the only kind of offer worth accepting.
