The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3 and verse one which “there may be time for every thing, and a season for each exercise below the heavens.”
One African proverb says that if one over stays in a latrine, he would start to see flies of various colors.
Which means that in case you don’t stop from a place when the ovation is loudest, the identical mouth folks utilized in praising you, they will even use in ridiculing you if you begin floundering.
Right this moment’s piece is about two captains of the Tremendous Eagles, Ahmed Musa and William Troost-Ekong.
Musa made his debut for the Tremendous Eagles on September 5, 2010 on the age of 17 in a qualification match for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in opposition to Madagascar.
He truly got here on as an alternative choice to John Obi Mikel however he scored his first worldwide purpose in a March 2011 pleasant match in opposition to Kenya.
Musa went forward to characteristic in two World Cup finals in 2014 and 2018. His greatest instances with the group have been in 2013 when the Tremendous Eagles gained the AFCON in South Africa and on the 2018 World Cup in Russia when he scored the 2 objectives in opposition to Iceland, thus changing into the primary Nigerian participant to attain multiple purpose in a World Cup match.
It’s stated that the energetic life time of an athlete is 10 years after which diminishing return units in. If Musa made his debut in 2010, it implies that he clocked 10 years of energetic soccer in 2020.
His efficiency began dwindling after then however he refused to hold his boots. Perhaps his purpose was to hit 100 caps for the Tremendous Eagles..
He didn’t solely hit 100 caps however went forward to re- twine 111 caps, essentially the most capped participant within the Tremendous Eagles. Fairly than stop when the ovation was loudest for him, Musa stayed on, in opposition to calls by followers that he ought to stop.
In our native parlance, it stated that “in case you no go away soccer, soccer go go away you”. And that’s what ultimately occurred to Musa.
Since he refused to stop and the NFF saved inviting him to the Tremendous Eagles, stressing that they need him to inspire his teammates at the same time as a non-playing captain however the coaches condemned him to the bench.
The Captain’s band was handed over to the vice captain, Troost-Ekong who led the group on the 2023 AFCON. Until immediately Musa has not formally introduced his retirement from worldwide soccer.
Not like Musa, Troost-Ekong final week introduced his retirement from worldwide soccer. He feels diminished when left on the bench regardless that he will get to be introduced in in its place generally.
Within the World Cup play-offs determined in Morocco, Troost-Ekong by no means received the chance to even play for one minute and so they misplaced the ticket to DR Congo and subsequently misplaced the chance for an additional World Cup berth. That was when he informed himself it was time to stop.
He’s among the many 10 most capped Tremendous Eagles gamers with 83 appearances, forward of Austin Okocha who’s quantity 10 with 73 caps.
Okocha additionally retired from worldwide soccer as captain of the Tremendous Eagles after the group did not qualify for the 2006 World Cup following the 1-1 draw with Angola in Kano.
As Troost-Ekong known as it quits mid final week, they’re solely two gamers nonetheless in energetic soccer among the many 10 most capped Tremendous Eagles gamers,
They’re Moses Simon, sixth on the log with 86 caps since his debut in 2015 and Alex Iwobi on the fourth place with 90 caps since his debut in 2015.
Although Troost-Ekong was listed among the many 54 preliminary squad, he stated in an interview that “there may be an artwork in realizing when to step away.”
Not like Musa who would have grabbed the opportu- nity to play once more if invited, Troost-Ekong stated, “self- ishly, I might have liked to carry the Africa Cup of Na- tions (AFCON) and play at yet another World Cup (however) I really feel like there’s been a gradual passing of the baton from the place I’m as one of many leaders and captain”.
And that baton which Musa actually didn’t move to him formally, he’s passing to his deputy, Wilfred Ndidi who has been endorsed to guide the Tremendous Eagles to the AFCON in Morocco.
Troost-Ekong affirmed that “It’s time to step away and let the following technology and the boys I’ve been taking part in with for the previous couple of years get an opportunity to put in writing their very own story”.
He believes the Tremendous Eagles are in good stead to win the 2025 AFCON as a result of they’ve learnt a whole lot of classes from their loss to Cote d’Ivoire within the final version, including that he could be in Morocco to moti- vate his colleagues.
In conclusion he stated, “It could be a wonderful method to sort of crown the technology of gamers that we’ve had now and in addition give them the respect that they, over time, most likely deserved.”
With the daring step Troost-Ekong has taken, it be- hoves on Musa, to honourably announce his retire- ment from worldwide soccer formally as nicely.
The put up Knowing when to quit, by Patrick Omorodion appeared first on Vanguard News.
