Stanley Nwabali has returned to Chippa United, the Eastern Cape club announced Saturday, ending months of uncertainty after the Nigeria goalkeeper left by mutual consent in February.
At the time of his departure neither Nwabali nor Chippa United offered a detailed explanation. In a brief interview with South Africa’s Metro FM the morning after the announcement, Nwabali said, “It is best you are being comfortable and enjoying the moment,” and added that leaving was a difficult but necessary choice. “Football is something that deals with happiness, your happiness comes first,” he told Metro FM.
More detail emerged from the player’s representative, Mohammed Lawal, who spoke with ESPN and said the decision to step away was not only from the club but from football itself. According to ESPN, Lawal said Nwabali was overwhelmed by grief and needed to protect his mental health after a string of family deaths.
Lawal told ESPN that Nwabali lost three close relatives within a two-month span. His grandmother died weeks before Nigeria’s November 2024 qualifier against Benin Republic. His father, Chief Godspower Nwabali, died around the same period, hours after the goalkeeper had played in a 1-1 draw, and Nwabali was excused from the squad to grieve. His mother, Grace Nwabali, died on Jan. 1, 2025.
According to ESPN, Lawal said the bereavements forced Nwabali into new responsibilities and affected his on-field demeanour. “After losing his parents, he became responsible for everything,” Lawal said. “As a professional, he knew he had to keep playing, but it was affecting him and if he continued, he was going to destroy himself because when you’re not in the right mental state, it shows.”
Lawal added that the strain was visible during Nigeria’s qualifying campaign and at the Nations Cup in Morocco, when Nwabali’s temperament appeared altered. At AFCON, Nwabali told captain Wilfred Ndidi he wanted to quit and remained only after teammates persuaded him to carry on. Those close to him urged a break to avoid permanent harm to his career, Lawal said.
