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Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has opened up about how the loss of both parents within a short period left him contemplating walking away from football.
Speaking emotionally in an interview with ACLSports on Wednesday, Nwabali recounted losing his mother barely two months after the death of his father, describing the experience as overwhelming.
“I don’t want to talk about my parents because tomorrow should be crossover night. Yeah, today actually. My mom died around twelve o’clock today. So, on how I try to keep a lot of things to myself, try to move on, try to be a stronger guy,” he said.
He explained that the pain was still raw, noting that his mother passed away on what should have been a moment of celebration, making it even harder to process the loss.
Credit: Idiskitimes
The goalkeeper admitted that there were moments when he seriously considered quitting football altogether, saying the loss of both parents, especially his mother, made him question everything.
“Most times I feel like to quit, you know? I feel like to quit because, yeah, you know, mom and dad, but my mom is so dear to me. Really, it’s so painful, man. It’s really so painful to be talking about my mom today, bro,” he said.
Despite the immense grief, Nwabali said the support he received from his teammates helped him stay in the game. He revealed that he had confided in his captain about his desire to quit football but was encouraged by teammates to keep going, even as the pain lingered.
“So, and I’m standing here playing football. Yeah, it’s true. Yeah, some people move on, some people don’t move on. I could remember I was talking to my captain that I want to leave football. You understand me? But with the help of some of my teammates, I keep going, bro. It really hurts,” he said.
He acknowledged that while some people can move on after such losses, others struggle, but the encouragement around him kept him going.
