The Nigerian Football Federation President, Amaju Pinnick is poised to meet with Chelsea winger Victor Moses and his representative in a fortnight in a bid to lure him back to the Super Eagles fold ahead of the 2019 African Cup of Nations.
Moses quit the Nigerian national team after 2018 World Cup in Russia. The 27 year old winger cited family reasons and club commitments as reasons.
He played 37 times for the Super Eagles, scoring 12 times since making his debut in 2012.
Moses won the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria in 2013, and represented the nation at two World Cups, in 2014 and 2018.
In an interview with Channels TV sports program, Sports Tonight, Pinnick however said that if Moses insists on his stance, then the NFF will organise a proper testimonial for him similar to what England did for Wayne Rooney.
“With all due respect to Nigerians, I’m talking with Victor Moses because I believe he is somebody who has paid his dues and you don’t just leave Nigeria unceremoniously and I told him that,” Pinnick said.
“It’s not as if they are no players but you see, we should encourage our player when they say ‘oh I’m retiring’, maybe it’s out of ego, we need to bring them in.
“It’s like your wife saying I’m not going to this event, you’ll go and beg her, she will go to the event and of course make an impact.
“The same thing here. He has paid his dues. I recall the Nations Cup we won, he scored two penalties in the game against Ethiopia with ten minutes to go and that catapulted us to the quarter final. So you just don’t say he wants to go, let him go.”
“I will be meeting with him and his agent in a fortnight and even if he wants to go, there must be a ceremony for him and that’s the truth.
“Look at what England did to Wayne Rooney, they brought him back. We must celebrate them all the time and that’s the truth,” he concluded.
