Veteran Nigerian goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, has revealed that he nearly quit the national team after learning about the death of his mother during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

He disclosed that he was informed of his mother’s passing on December 31, 2025, while resting at the team hotel ahead of other AFCON matches.

The goalkeeper noted that he was deeply saddened and pained by the loss of his mother, who was very dear to him and with whom he shared many cherished moments.

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“I don’t want to talk about my parents because tomorrow should be crossover night, right? Yeah. Today, my mom died around 12. I try to keep a lot of things to myself, try to move on, try to be a strong guy.

"Most times, I feel like quitting, you know, because of mom and dad. But my mom was so dear to me. It’s really painful, man. It’s really painful to be talking about my mom today, bro. It hurts. It really hurts,” he told the media.

The Super Eagles shot‑stopper further indicated that losing his father in November and then his mother in December nearly made him lose focus on football, but some of his teammates encouraged him to carry on.

“Let me talk as a soccer player, as a human being in general to lose both parents at the same time. My dad died last month. My mom died today. And I’m standing here playing football. It’s true, some people move on, some people don’t. Honestly, I wanted to leave football, you understand me? But with the help of some of my teammates, I stayed,” he added.

Nwabali will lead Nigeria into the knockout stage after their brilliant group‑stage performance, where they amassed nine points from three matches.

SB/AE

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