Stanley Nwabali opens up on losing both parents within two months
Chippa United and Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has opened up about the devastating loss of both his parents within two months.
His father passed away during the international break in November. He played during Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Benin before he was granted compassionate leave to attend the funeral.
He then missed the nation’s 2-1 loss to Rwanda in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Barely two months after burying his father, he lost his mother who passed away on January 1, 2025.
The goalkeeper acknowledged that he is not currently mentally stable as he is still coping with this difficult situation.
NWABALI – ‘I’M NOT MENTALLY STABLE’
“From my side, I’m not mentally stable now, but you know, as a lover of soccer, whatever time you find an opportunity to be in the pitch or to do whatever you enjoy. You try to push some of your things behind you and just move on,” said Nwabali.
“So, I won’t say I’m fully 100% okay, but I just need to do whatever thing I felt like to help my team today.”
When asked about the loss of support of of his parents, he responded: “Indeed, it’s a really tough moment for me and my family. It’s not really easy for me and giving this energy to my team when I came back,” he added.
“But you know, as I said, life, you just really need to focus on those ways of life.
“Despite, I know it’s not easy. It’s a really tough moment for me this time. So, I’m still passing through it, but I really need to move on and just see how I’m going to put myself together because this is not what my fans want to see in the pitch.
“They know I know they wish me well, but at least I really need to give them back with some performance like this [Chippa’s previous game against Arrows] in the game.”
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