Super Eagles forward Samuel Chukwueze laid his mother, Mrs. Serah Chinyere Chukwueze, to rest on Friday, May 29, in Abia State Soccernet.ng reports.
The year began with personal tragedy for the Fulham star, who lost his mother on January 29 following a brief illness. At the time, he was on duty with his club, Fulham, which prevented him from returning to Nigeria immediately for the funeral.
In the South East of Nigeria, funeral rites—particularly for a matriarch or the mother of a prominent figure—are deeply significant, elaborate, and need extensive planning. As a result, Chukwueze waited until the end of the football season to return to his home state of Abia for a proper burial ceremony in Umuahia.
The event was well-attended, drawing government dignitaries, social media personalities, and prominent entrepreneurs in the South East. Notably, Chukwueze received strong support from his Super Eagles teammates and officials from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Fellow Super Eagles stars Chidozie Awaziem and Kelechi Iheanacho were spotted standing by their grieving teammate during the ceremony, and NFF President Ibrahim Gusau was also in attendance to pay his respects.
Watch Samuel Chukwueze At His Mother’s Burial
Samuel Chukwueze, dressed in white native attire was in tears just before his mother was laid to rest. Before her death, Mrs. Chukwueze was a pillar in her son’s life, and would always back him. He even used to share pictures of her on his social media pages.
However, he appeared to have cheered up during the reception, as he was all smiles while welcoming his guests.
Samuel Chukwueze’s Future in the Balance
Once he is done with his mother’s burial, Chukwueze will have to start thinking about his future. He spent last year on loan at Fulham from AC Milan. And with the campaign all over, he is now set to return to the Rossoneri.
However, the 27-year-old has iterated that he would love to stay in London after a decent debut year that saw him register three goals and four assists in 23 Premier League games. But Fulham have been pussyfooting on the transfer, which means that there is a good chance that they might not sign him permanently.
It also appears that AC Milan, who are in a transition period are unwilling to keep the Super Eagles star. So it is left to be seen how his situation unfolds in the summer.