Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, stepped away from football for a while to deal with grief and mental health, ESPN reports.
Nwabali terminated his contract with Chippa United in February this year.
Five months, later he rejoined the South African Premiership club, ending speculation over his future.
His agent, Mohammed Lawal, has now explained why Nwabali made the decisions.
Within 18 months, Nwabali lost his grandmother and two parents.
“After losing his parents, he became responsible for everything. There was a lot he needed to take care of,” 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.
“You could see it during some of his games for the national team. People probably thought he was fighting with his teammates.”