Eagles fans urge Moses to consider returning as it may enhance his chances of playing at Chelsea

NIGERIAN football fans have asked Chelsea winger Victor Moses to reconsider his recent decision to retire from international football as not featuring for the Super Eagles looks like it will actually harm his club career.

On August 15, Moses,27 announced his international retirement from international football, saying he now wants to focus on his club career and family. However, Super Eagles fans have asked him to give the decision another thought, with Bright Igboatu, the former chairman of Chelsea Fan Club Abakaliki branch, noting that Moses was misguided by thinking that retiring from the Eagles would make manager Maurizio Sarri field him more.

Over the weekend, Moses did not feature for Chelsea at all during the league match in which they beat Bournemouth 2-0. Chelsea fans believe that if anything, not featuring for the national team will make Moses less of a figure at Chelsea as he will no longer be in the international limelight.

Mr Igboatu said: “The problem is not due to Moses’s commitment with the national team but because Sarri is employing a system different from that of former coach, Antonio Conte which made the player tick. Conte employed a 3-5-2 formation which made Moses combine both defensive and offensive roles at the right wing but Sarri employs a 4-3-3 formation which features players on both the right-full back and outside right positions.

Jude Omagwe, a former Jasper United of Onitsha player supported this assertion, arguing that featuring for the national team would even enhance Moses’s chances of breaking into Sarri’s main team. He added: “Chelsea’s blistering start to the season would make it difficult for Sarri to drop any play from this group that have adapted to his new system.

“Matches in the Europa League, Carabao and Federation Cups in which Moses and other fringe players can feature, are not played regularly as the focal attention is the premier league.”

Chika Nwangele, the Ebonyi United of Abakaliki captain advised Moses to realise the impact playing for the national team could make in his dire situation.

He added: “Luca Modric of Croatia has recently overthrown Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to emerge Europe’s best player and this was due to his scintillating performance at the world Cup. Moses should realise that established players such as Cesc Fabregas, Adreas Christensein among others are facing similar situations as the national team affords him the opportunity of being match-fit.”

Samuel Chukwuemeka, a football historian, recalled that the national team afforded several Nigerian stars not playing regularly at their clubs, the avenues of being relevant. He added that the world acclaimed USA 94 team for instance, had several players that had no clubs or were not regulars at their clubs during the qualifiers and competition proper.