Stanley Nwabali’s agent, Mohammed Lawal, has revealed the reason behind the goalkeeper’s decision to step away from football.

Nwabali requested a release from his contract with South African club Chippa United to pursue new opportunities in February.


The Nigeria international attracted interest from African heavyweights Kaizer Chiefs and Simba SC, as well as several clubs in Saudi Arabia.

The shot-stopper has now returned to Chippa United, five months after leaving the club.

Devastating period for goalkeeper

Nwabali endured a devastating two-month period during which he lost his grandmother, father and mother.

Lawal said the heartbreaking series of losses had a profound impact on the former Enyimba goalkeeper.

He further explained that Nwabali’s decision to step away at the time extended beyond leaving Chippa United, as the goalkeeper also needed a break from football to cope with overwhelming grief and protect his mental well-being.

“It has been very difficult for Stanley,” Lawal told ESPN.

“People don’t always know what is going on with these players. They only see them on the field. They know them as footballers, but they don’t know that they are human beings too. Like everyone else, they go through life’s challenges.”

Lawal added: “After losing his parents, he became responsible for everything. There was a lot he needed to take care of.

“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.

“You could see it during some of his games for the national team. People probably thought he was fighting with his teammates.”

Emotional strain affected Nwabali

Lawal added that the emotional strain was already evident in Nwabali’s demeanour and contributed to the criticism the goalkeeper faced during Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying campaign and later at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

“If you look back, you’ll see the difference. Stanley used to be lively and always smiling. During the last AFCON and the World Cup qualifiers, he became unusually aggressive. He was shouting at teammates and confronting opponents. But that wasn’t the real Stanley,” stated Lawal.

“When he first started playing for Nigeria, everyone talked about how calm he was under pressure. Later, people thought he had become overconfident or aggressive. They didn’t know what was happening inside him.”