Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has shared the emotional pain of losing both his parents within a short period.

Speaking to ACL Sports while in Morocco with the team ahead of their Round of 16 clash, Nwabali reflected on the immense grief he experienced last year after the deaths of his mother and father. The Super Eagles had topped Group C with nine points from three matches.

He revealed that the losses were so overwhelming that he considered quitting football, but the support of his teammates helped him continue.

“My mom passed away on this day last year around 12 pm. I try to move on and be strong, but sometimes I feel like quitting. At one point, I even told my captain that I wanted to quit football. But with the support of some of my teammates, I was able to carry on. My mom and dad were so dear to me. Losing them has been incredibly painful. It’s not something any footballer—or any human—should have to experience: losing both parents,” Nwabali said.

His father passed in November 2025, just hours after he played in the Super Eagles’ 1-1 draw against Benin Republic in the 2025 Nations Cup qualifiers. On January 1, he took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the passing of his mother, describing 2025 as “the worst year of my life.”

He wrote: “RIP mom, worst year of my life already,” accompanied by heartbreak and tear emojis, and previously shared: “A very very crazy world indeed.”