Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama,says he will retire from the Super Eaglesafter the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2017.
He said he had been on the scene since 2002,adding that there was every reason for him to give way for others to take over.
Interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday, Enyeama, who is also the Super Eagles captain, explained thatthe desire to give younger goalkeepers theopportunity to develop themselves informed his decision to retire from the national team.
“I can’t keep doing the same thing forever;there is going to be a time I have to stop andgive it up to some other persons. I am the only face here since 2002, but 2017 Nations Cup finals will be my last game. I just said mybtarget, anything can happen after,” he added.
The Eagles goal tender explained that the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, prevented him from retiring from the team after it failed to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Enyeama told the NAN that his wife andpastor also prevailed on him to drop the plan.
He further stated “I actually wanted to stop,it wasn’t a rumour. Nigeria is blessed withgreat goalkeepers, just that we need to give them confidence.
Nobody gave me a chance when I started, I was a rookie also; I belt it 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.
Alot 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 decidedto continue, but then, there is going to be atime to call it quits.”
About NAN The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in May 1976 to gather and distributenews on Nigeria and cover events of interest to Nigeria at the international level for the benefit of the Nigerian Media and the Public.
