Nobody can force me into retirement - Kanu

When the Super Eagles crashed out of the South Africa 2010 World Cup after the 2-2 draws with Korea Republic, skipper, Nwankwo Kanu, was the man Saturday Sunsports was desperate to get for an interview.



Kanu


Kanu was on duty in that game for a little over 60 minutes and given his age, one felt he has played his last game for Nigeria.

Getting Kanu to speak that night at the magnificent Moses Madiba Stadium in Durban was simply a mission impossible. Himself and his teammakes were shattered after Nigeria’s ouster and were not ready to speak to the press.

Twenty-four hours after the game, Saturday Sunsports caught up with a more relaxed Kanu at the lobby of Protea Waterfront in Richards Bay. Papillo, as he is fondly called by fans, had just finished taking his dinner and graciously accepted to answer just a few of this reporter’s questions since he was rushing up stairs to join his wife and kids, who were waiting for him in the room.

The first salvo fired at Kanu was for him to confirm if the game he played against Korea would be his last for Nigeria and what he felt was the way forward for the Super Eagles after the South Africa 2010 flop?

Kanu’s response clearly showed he was not thinking of retirement yet.

“Well, I don’t think Nigerians have seen me play my last game as Super Eagles’ captain. I remain the captain of the national team,” Kanu began. “You saw the game against Korea, it was our best game of the World Cup and I proved myself before being substituted.

“I don’t know why Nigerians are always talking about change, that they don’t want to see certain players again. It is wrong. That is one of the factors that affected us at the World Cup.

“Some people were saying before the World Cup that I shouldn’t be part of the team. They can now see that experience counts. Part of what killed us in South Africa was inexperience on the part of some players. For me, I am still part of the team, even as the captain.

“I have not told anybody that I am throwing in the towel. I don’t want to say much for now. The World Cup is over for us, my wife and kids are here, I want to take a rest and forget about the game for some days.”

Kanu, while apologising to fans over the team’s failure to make it to the round of 16, said Nigerians should take consolation in the fact that the Eagles made it to South Africa 2010 World Cup.

“We were almost not going to make it to South Africa. We have to thank God we qualified for the Mundial, which is the first in Africa.

“I want to appeal to our fans to forgive us for not living up to their expectation. In football, you don’t win always. We were quite unlucky against Korea. We played well and should have secured the three points, but unfortunately, the game ended in a draw,” Kanu said.

On Coach Lars Lagerback, Kanu said the Swede tacticians did his best with the team, even as he urged the nation’s soccer governing body to retain him.

“Lagerback did his best despite our early exit. I think the football federation should keep him.”