Nigeria's Vincent Enyeama retires from international football after Oliseh rift

Nigeria’s iconic goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama has retired from international football.

The player said on Thursday morning that he will no longer be involved with the Nigeria’s senior football team, the Super Eagles.

Enyeama who took to Instagram to announce the decision said he has served Nigeria to the best of his ability.

“I have fought a good fight for more than 13years.I have finished my course, I have kept the faith and sang the anthem with passion. henceforth, there is laid for me a crown which only GOD can reward me for my 13years of national services. God bless NIgeria.

“Henceforth, I am no more the captain of the NIgerian senior football team, I am no more the goalie of the team. I am out of the team. I am no more available for international duties.

“I want to say thank you to every Nigerian fan and supporter world wide. It’s been the most trying period of my life but I know that Nigerians are there for me and God is with me. God bless NIgeria.”

This decision has come on the back of an apparent rift with recently-appointed Eagles boss, Sunday Oliseh. Nigeria's new captain is CSKA Moscow forward Ahmed Musa.

Although Oliseh has said the rift between him and Enyeama had been sorted, he insisted that his to decision strip the former Eagles captain was based on discipline.

"I want a captain who is disciplined. A leader who can motivate other players. A player who comes to camp early. I want a young player not a retiring player as captain. And Ahmed Musa is that player. He is my captain.’’

“The fact that I would like to have somebody (as captain) who is thinking of playing now and not somebody who is preparing for retirement or thinking of life after-football. And I think it’s time we had peace and quiet around the Super Eagles.

"That is why I am glad that most of the players here are finding ways to work as a team because I get the feeling now that they are aware that they are representing 170 million people’’, Oliseh said on popular Nigerian station, Brilla FM.

[PHOTO]http://img.modernghana.com/images/content/ Drama in the camp

Multiple reports from several leading Nigerian outlets said there was drama inside the Super Eagles camp late on Tuesday, when coach Oliseh ordered captain Enyeama out of the base in Belgium.

But the France-based goalkeeper was persuaded to remain with the team by the Nigeria Football Federation officials.

Enyeama joined his national teammates in Belgium ahead of the two friendly games against Congo and Cameroon on Thursday and Sunday respectively but Oliseh was angry over the keeper’s late arrival to camp.

The Lille keeper arrived camp after Monday’s deadline, having been reportedly permitted to report late following Saturday’s burial of his mother in AkwaIbom.

But an angry Oliseh ordered Enyeama, who has 101 caps for Nigeria, out despite pleas from the keeper, who rose to apologise for coming late and wanted to give his reasons.

Oliseh reportedly told Enyeama to shut up but the Eagles captain didn’t comply, which made the coach call on security operatives to get the keeper out of Hotel Verviers, the camp site of the Eagles.

Oliseh then named CSKA Moscow forward, Ahmed Musa, the Eagles captain for the friendly matches.

But officials of the NFF waded into the matter and persuaded Enyeama to remain in camp.

“It’s true that there was a little misunderstanding in the camp of @NGSuperEagles, but the matter has been resolved. Enyeama remains in camp,” the NFF said on Twitter.

Parts of this article were sourced from The Punch Nigeria

Story by Ghana/Joy Sports/Gary Al-Smith