Chippa United's Stanley Nwabali nearly quit football after losing both parents

Speaking at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where he is Nigeria's first-choice goalkeeper, Nwabali opened up about the grief he endured following the deaths of his parents in November and December.

"I tried to move forward and be strong, but sometimes I felt like giving up," Nwabali told reporters, as per SuperSport.

"At one point, I even told my captain that I wanted to quit football. But thanks to the support of my teammates, I was able to carry on."

The Super Eagles shot-stopper admitted that the pain remains raw.

"It's so painful to talk about. They were very dear to me," he said.

"It's not a pleasant feeling for a footballer, or even for a human being, to lose both parents at the same time. They're gone, and here I am playing football."

Despite the emotional toll, Nwabali has shown remarkable resilience on the field.

He was an injury doubt ahead of the tournament but recovered in time to feature in all three of Nigeria's group-stage matches, helping the Super Eagles secure a perfect record.

Nigeria have now advanced to the Round of 16 and will face Mozambique on Monday in Fes, as Nwabali continues to play a key role in their AFCON campaign while honouring the memory of his parents.