By Adeboye Amosu:
Chelsea winger Victor Moses has announced his shocking decision to quit international football with immediate effect, Completesportsnigeria.com reports.
Moses, 27, made his decision known through a long statement on his Twitter handle on Wednesday.
“I would like to announce that after much thought, I have made the decision to retire from playing international football. I have experienced some of the best moments of my life wearing the Super Eagles shirt and have memories with me that will last a lifetime,” reads the statement.
“However, I feel that now is the right time to stay away in order to be able to focus fully on my club career and my young family, as well as to allow the next generation of Super Eagles stars the opportunity to step up and flourish. We are blessed as a nation to have so many exciting young players coming through and now is their time.
“There are so many highlights that standout for me over the years, from making my debut, to playing two World Cups and been part of the team that won the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time for our nation since 1994 being just a few of them. ”
Moses represented England at the U-16, U-17, U-19 and U-21 levels before switching allegiance to Nigeria.
The former Wigan Athletic star won the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations title with Nigeria and also played at two World Cups.
He was capped 37 times by Nigeria and scored 12 goals.
COMMENTS
All the best in his club football and family commitments. Indeed, the demands of international football are not in Victor’s best interests as he sees them at the moment.
9ice talk bro, victor moses i luv you, pls dont liston to gernot rohr who wil beg u to com back.
Remain mikel obi to make his final decision.
Actuall prayers is @work. Thank you baba GOD
Lol. I’m with you. Good news for Nigerian football. We need committed players that can always be relied upon.
Haymaker, your name suite you. Always negative to the core
Hahaha. Look at the name of the ignorant man talking. Your name fits you well. Prostitute!
Thank you
Sad news indeed but he who wears the shoes knows best where its hitches so I respect your decision and I wish you the best in your future endeavors. Never missed a penalty in super Eagles colors.Always a threat to opponents.Your Overall contributions will remain ever green in our memory
Retire at 27 and you guys are celebrating him. Sometimes that is why I don’t like reasoning on here with the average Nigerians. Should Erikson 27 like Moses retire from Denmark do you think they will not raise alarm? Messi @ 30 retired from Argentina and the whole country went into tears but here in Nigeria everyone is congratulating Moses @27 smh!
Victor Moses retired from playing for Nigeria to focus on his club career and family life, should we now go and beg him to rescind?
No player is indispensable and no individual personality greater than the Super Eagles.
The way we discovered him we will discover others and the vacancy created by his retirement already has suitable candidates with hunger and passion just waiting to fill it.
The young man has called time on his national team career, in appreciation of all his hard work and dedication over the years, we thank him at the same time wish him all the best in his endeavours.
Deo this shouldn’t be coming from you. Moses is our best player and it’s too early for him to retire at 27 . Mikel has a family just like other loyal players older than 27. For Christ sake let us quit thinking anti clockwise
Oga….it is you that should stop thinking anti clockwise. The young man has chosen to retire from international football, so we should all go and prostrate in front of his gate to beg him to rescind his decision..? You must be a confused man. It is the same you who refers to our players as mediocres. So why is the retirement of a ‘mediocre’ giving you so much headache
LMAO!!!
It’s too early for Moses to leave the Super Eagles. I think there’s more to it. He should be called back; his presence also motivates the team.
Well-earned rest from balancing the rigours of simultaneously serving club , country and family. Fans see players only on the pitch and forget that like everyone else they have a life outside of it.
With all that is going on at the NFF right now, I expect more players to wave goodbye to Nigeria anyway.
When Rohr is consistent in begging and pampering our PLAYERS like Cry babies hmmm that’s what you get! Feeling and acting indispensable! Please obi mikel should follow suit! MOSES victor knows at Chelsea no wing back chance after a new coach has a new method and system. He a chicken hearted player! No mind up to fight like other chelsea international players! He feels after winning the nations cup and nothing new to motivate him again! Lazy ass player! Anyway na way! Goodluck moses!
God bless you for speaking the truth. Spoken like someone who knows what he’s saying. Nigerian fans are too sentimental. I fear them.
Demands of international football and the strain it potentially imposes on family life and club career can be huge. Hence, not all footballers are cut out for this.
What drives seasoned Internationals are inner motivation and a sense of calling to serve the father-land. Once these are no longer there, then a player should rightly make him or herself unavailable for national team duties.
It is really hard, seriously: just ask the likes of England’s Alan Shearer or Nigeria’s Victor Anichebe (players who retired or semi-retired earlier than expected) they will tell you.
During international windows (for friendlies and tournament qualifiers) footballers use that time to bond with their families, re-charge their batteries, recuperate from niggling minor knocks and privately plot how they will either cement their starting eleven positions or plot how they will get into the starting eleven in their clubs.
That is not the case for international players.
They have to pick their bags and travel to Seychelles to play an Afcon qualifier (rather than be with family); play through pain or pick up an injury then risk losing their places when they get back to the club. Injuries picked in international duties can keep a player in the sidelines for months.
There is also the burden of constantly carrying the weight of a nation’s expectations on your shoulders (just ask Neymar, Messi and Mikel Obi). Little wonder Christopher Ohehen stayed away from national duties.
International football does have its perks, rewards and thrills but it also has its trappings.
For those players who have the hunger, passion, desire and motivation for it, let them continue; for others like Shearer, Anichebe, Ohehen and Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov (who retired at 29), it is best they follow their heart and leave international football for others.
Right from the World Cup, it was obvious that Victor Moses had lost the motivation to play for Nigeria. I don’t know what the real issue is, but Victor seems to be a very emotional person. When he is in the right frame of mind he can accomplish a lot both for club and country, but if his mind is not there you see him at his very worst on the pitch.
I guess the early retirement is in the best interest of both Victor and Super Eagles if he is no longer emotionally charged to play for Nigeria.
Sincerely, I noticed his demeanor at the world cup in Russia, and he always cut the figure of someone who wasn’t enjoying what he was doing. He was always tentative and reluctant. His moves were always half-hearted and he never really upped his game beyond the 1st gear all through. His laxity allowed a left back to ghost into the Nigerian penalty area and volley into the net unmarked to send us crashing out of the tournament. I guess it was the backlash that followed from his team mates that has forced him to throw in the towel. Unfortunately, this is the worst decision he can take at the moment. Even if he retires from every other activity he does, he doesn’t have the quality to be a starter in the current Chelsea team. At times like this, when you aren’t a guaranteed starter in your club, you need more of international football to sell yourself to the world. Look at others who have retired abrutptly in the last few years….Vincent Enyeama, Victor Anichebe, Emmanuel Emmenike…Pls where are they. What was their club career like before and after retirement. I leave y’all to judge…! Good luck to Victor Moses
My observation from years back is that players who retire abnormally from international career always have this downward trend in their football career..
Why not lay low and play fringe to help boost younger players instead of retiring..
ASK ENYEAMA, EMENIKE, and other previous players who had done such..
Victor left when we needed him most. At 27, the retirement is UNACCEPTABLE. I concur with @Alekks, Since the world cup i noticed this Laxity and un-patriotic attitude he puts on when playing for Nigeria. He should RESCIND his decision only when he feel he’s ready to serve Nigeria patriotically.
I was a die hard fan of moses, i rated him ahead of salah, i voted for him to be Africa best, i want de best for him, wen some people here talkin rubbish left moses for salah and mane and aubamayang, but i was wit him, fought for him, but he proved me wrong.
I saw his performers and character and i knew he dont want to play international football again.
so since de game against poland and serbia, i have been praying for v moses retiremen, nd now God has don it.
Mikel and ighalo wil soon go in Jesus name Amen
Thanks for all your service to Nigeria.
Wise decision.
“A good artist leaves the stage when the ovation is loudest.”
Good luck to you in your club career and marital bliss in your family life.
Waiting to here from Mikel Obi, Ighalo, Onazi, Echiejile, and Joel Obi.
God bless the Super Eagles.
MOSES YOU REALLY RUIND MY DAY… Anyway, LIFE GOES ON!!!! Your contributions to the SE will always be remembered…
Hide Ighalo should please follow suit.
Jude Ighalo should follow also.
His retirement is too sodden and early. He was not smiling during the world cup. I don’t know how many people took note.
After nations cup Ahmed Musa should exit too.
Mikel Obi, Onazi, Echiejile, Ighalo, Joel Obi.
Bye, Good job guys.
Time to quit.
Ighalo will not retire.
I think he made the best decision.
Moses simon wil wear squad no11. and iwobi wil wear no10, but wat is mikel waitin.
@Chima, bro pls let’s appreciate Moses, considering what the jihadist barbarians did to his parents, still the guy gave his best for this undeserved country.Thanks Moses you are a true definition of a patriot.Go and enjoy ur retirement in peace,While Dalung goat and Hippo Giwa continue to destroy Nigeria football.
Fair point