Super Eagles first choice keeper and captain, Vincent Enyeama, who Thursday, October 8 announced his retirement from the team has agreed to stage a comeback. Also, the most capped Nigerian footballer, yesterday, apologised to Nigerians for the controversy surrounding his exit from the Super Eagles. The goalkeeper, on Thursday, following a clash with the coach of the national team, Sunday Oliseh, had announced on Instagram that “I am out of the team. I am no more available for international duties.” Oliseh on Tuesday had stripped Enyeama of the captaincy of the Super Eagles and handed it to CSKA Moscow forward Ahmed Musa, forcing the Lille keeper to end his international career in controversial circumstances. The goalkeeper, on the social networking site, alleged insults to his late mother as well as being thrown out of the national camp by hotel security in Verviers, Belgium. But the coach, while debunking the claims on Friday, expressed sadness over Enyeama’s retirement from the national team, which he said had turned many fans against him, following the team’s 2-0 loss to Congo in a friendly on Thursday night. Enyeama, on his Instagram account yesterday, however, expressed sombreness, saying he was “humiliated,” which led him to quit the national team. “Who would be happy after just burying your mother that carried you nine months in the womb and suffered for you day and night, jumping on a six-hour plane to represent your fatherland only to be stripped of the captainship and humiliated at the first meeting in front of everyone after serving the nation for 13 years? “I have honoured about 99 per cent of the national team’s invitations, no matter where the match is played. Anyway, my decision to quit the national team is for the best interest of the nation. I don’t want to be the reason that Nigerian football house is divided. “I want Nigeria to get back up to where it belongs. It’s a professional decision made for the blessing of the nation. I am very sorry for being the reason that all these things are happening. God bless Nigeria,” he said. Meanwhile, there were indications yesterday that the Nigerian Football Federation President, Amaju Pinnick, held talks with Enyeama in Brussels, Germany, in a bid to convince the veteran player into changing his mind about his sudden exit from the Super Eagles. Enyeama’s decision to return was taken yesterday in Belgium after a three-hour meeting with the president of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick. Pinnick told Sunday Sunsports exclusively after the meeting that the good news he has for Nigerians is that Enyeama has assured him that he would rescind his retirement decision, even as he added that he succeeded in getting Enyeama and Oliseh to talk on phone. “I had a very fruitful meeting with Enyeama. Our meeting lasted for three hours and I must tell you that all is well now. Enyeama will return after the game against Cameroon tomorrow (today). He spoke with Oliseh on phone after our meeting. He (Enyeama) is not in camp at the moment but he is likely going to watch the match against Cameroon from the stands,” Pinnick disclosed. Oliseh has come under fire from many Soccer fans over the decision which they reason will polarize the Eagles as they chase Nations Cup and World Cup qualification tickets.
