"I was afraid of the shelling". Chornomorets footballer flees Ukraine two weeks after signing contract

Chornomorets head coach Roman Hryhorchuk has announced that midfielder Jack Ipalibo has left the team. The 25-year-old Nigerian joined the Odesa club from Greek side Kifissia as a free agent on February 23.

"Ipalibo was not in the application today and, unfortunately, we will not see him again most likely, because he just... I don't know what word to use... He just packed up and left. Because of the shelling? I think that's the reason. And we talked to him about a day ago. And the next day I was just told that he was gone. He had already boarded a train and left for somewhere..." – Roman Yosypovych said.

The Chornomorets coach admitted that he was upset by the events.

"You see, we were counting on him. Did he hand over the equipment? I don't know about that, I didn't ask. It's a pity that he left," Hryhorchuk summarized.

Before coming to Ukraine, Ipalibo played 17 matches for Kifissia in the Greek Super League. He did not score any goals.

The Nigerian footballer also played for the B and C teams of the Spanish Villarreal from 2016 to 2020, after which he played for the Norwegian Strømgåseth.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the Russian army attacked Odesa with Shahed drones on the night of March 2. The occupants hit a nine-story residential building, completely destroying one entrance. 12 people were killed, including five children.

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