I’ll quit Eagles after AFCON 2017 —Enyeama

 

Super Eagles captain Vincent Enyeama has said he may retire from international football after the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations should Nigeria qualify.

The Lille goalkeeper is in his 13th year as the Eagles first-choice saying that it was about time he let the younger keepers have a go at the position.

The goalkeeper told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday that the desire to give younger goalkeepers the opportunity to develop themselves informed his decision to retire from the national team.

He said, “I can’t keep doing the same thing forever; there is going to be a time I have to stop and give it up to some other persons.

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“It is actually 13 years and a month since I began serving Nigeria and I don’t think any other player except maybe Austin Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo and a few others had stayed that long, so I think I have done my bit.”

The Eagles goal tender explained that the immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, prevented him from retiring from the team after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

He said his wife and pastor also prevailed on him to drop the plan.

Enyeama said, “I actually wanted to stop, it wasn’t a rumour. Nigeria is blessed with great goalkeepers, it’s just that we need to give them confidence.

“Nobody gave me a chance when I started, I was a rookie also; I belted up, I worked hard for it and became the big person that nobody wants to lose.

“What changed my mind was the passion of Nigerians. I had a lot of calls, my governor, Akpabio. A lot of people talked with me. These things, you don’t just ignore, and my wife also talked with me.

“My wife didn’t want me to leave yet. I talked with my pastor and he said if everybody said stay, why not. So, I decided to continue, but then, there is going to be a time to call it quits.”

Enyeama made his debut for the Eagles against Kenya in May 2002 and has gone on to be capped 100 times for the team, making him the highest capped player in the team’s history with former captain, Joseph Yobo.

His first competitive debut at the FIFA World Cup was against England, in which he kept a clean sheet for the country. He has since then featured at the 2010 and the 2014 World Cups.

Meanwhile, the Eagles had their first training at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Monday after the arrival of the overseas-based players. The team, which arrived in Kaduna on Sunday, began their training at 3.30pm.

The Nigeria Football Federation on its Twitter handle said that the team played as Team Onazi and Team Enyeama — with Team Onazi winning the match courtesy of a penalty shootout.