Ismaila Mabo, ex-Green Eagles star, who also coached the female national team, Super Falcons, has advised Nigerians, particularly Gernot Rohr and other handlers of the Super Eagles, against ‘forcing’ Victor Moses to rescind his decision to retire from national team duties.
Moses, who was part of the Super Eagles squad to two World Cups (Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018), and member of the 2013 AFCON winning squad in South Africa, announced his retirement from international football in the middle of the month, saying that he wants to focus fully on club career and his young family.
He also said that his retirement would pave the way for the next generation of Super Eagles stars to flourish.
Mabo, whose record as coach of the Falcons remains unbroken since USA ’99, said mounting pressure on Moses to return from retirement could be counter productive.
“As a former player of the national team and ex-coach of a national team, I find it very difficult to understand why people should prevail on a player to come back from retirement.
“To do what? We all appreciate Victor Moses for his services to the Super Eagles, but since he has retired from the team, Nigerians should allow him to face his club career.
“Nigeria has so many Victor Moses waiting to be discovered. All the coaches need do is to see his retirement as a challenge to scout for more talented players. Nobody will play football forever. What if Victor Moses had sustained a serious injury that could rule him out of football.
“Does it mean the Super Eagles won’t play again? As I said, if Moses says he is no longer playing for Nigeria, the coaches and NFF should allow him to stay away.
“Let us continue to pray for him,” Mabo stated.
Credit: guardian.ng
