Victor Moses, Chelsea winger who has played 38 times for Nigeria, scoring 12 times since making his debut in 2012, says it is time to quit international duty. He wants to toe the line of Taye Taiwo, Obafemi Martins and Vincent Enyeama, who decided to dump the national team when they were still relevant to the side.
Moses put the point emotionally, “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. However, I feel that now is the right time to step away in order to be able to focus fully on my club career and young family, as well as to allow the next generation the opportunity to step up and to flourish. Thank you for the memories and good luck to the team for the future”.
Moses was part of the Nigerian squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa in 2013 and represented the nation at two World Cups, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.
Many Nigerian soccer fans think it is too early for Moses to retire from international football, although they concede that the 27-year old star has the right to choose his career path. Some admit that African players in big clubs abroad are forced to work twice as hard as their European counterparts, thus passing through tough physical and psychological difficulties.
Others feel that his desire to retire from international football has to do with the current season, which looks daunting for him and he needs undivided attention to succeed under Coach Maurizio Sarri.
Before choosing to play for Nigeria, Moses had previously represented England up to Under-21 level, while coming through the ranks at Crystal Palace. What is clear is that Nigerians would miss his style of play.
