Super Eagles skipper, Joseph Yobo, has announced his retirement from the national team after the Nigerian side lost 2-0 to their French counterparts in Brasilia on Monday.
The man, who has held Nigeria’s defence together for the past 13 years, scored an injury-time own goal on his final day.
Yobo said: “I would have loved to have done it differently.”
The 33-year-old Yobo stated that he would be retiring from international duty to concentrate on his club career and spend more time with his family.
He became the first Nigerian to reach a century of international caps.
He said: “This is it for me. My family needs me. It’s been a long road.”
However, Yobo thinks that he is leaving the national team in capable hands with the duo of defenders Kenneth Omeruo and Godfrey Oboabona able to continue in his place.
“They would grow,” he said. “Omeruo has done very well. Oboabona was injured but he got his chance at the Nations Cup. They’re going to get better. The experience is going to come and one of them has to take the responsibility and be a leader.”
Meanwhile, Yobo, 34, made history in Brasilia as he joined 20 other Africans to make the 100 caps for their countries.
Yobo, the first Nigerian player to have attained that height, was born in October 1980 and first appeared for the national team then at the age 20.
He has so far scored seven goals for the national team.
His low number of goals has not diminished his achievement as he played deep in the defence.
However, some of the top Africans he joined include the likes of Cameroon’s Rigobert Song with 137 caps from 1993 to 2010; Geremi Fotso Njitap with 118 (1996-2010); and Samuel Eto’o Fils with 117 (1997-2014).
The list also includes Ivorian, Didier Drogba with 101 (2002-2014) and Kolo Touré with 107 (2000-2014).
Mikel Obi had told newsmen that they were happy at the achievement of their captain.
Obi said: “This is an inspiration for us.
“We know his antecedents on and off the pitch.”
The records are as follows:
Ahmed Hassan [Egypt] 184* (1996-2012)
Hossam Hassan [Egypt] 176 (1985-2006)
Rigobert Song [Cameroon] 137 (1993-2010)
Ibrahim Hassan [Egypt] 128 (1988-2002)
Hany Ramzy [Egypt] 123 (1989-2003)
Didier Zokora [Ivory Coast] 119* (2000-2014)
Geremi Fotso Njitap [Cameroon] 118* (1996-2010)
100.Samuel Eto’o Fils [Cameroon] 117* (1997-2014)
Noureddine Naybet [Morocco] 115 (1990-2006)
Wael Goma’a [Egypt] 113* (2001-2013)
Kolo Touré [Ivory Coast] 107* (2000-2014)
Joseph Musonda [Zambia] 106* (2002-2013)
Radhi Jaidi [Tunisia] 105 (1996-2009)
Ahmed Shobair [Egypt] 105 (1984-1996)
Nader El-Sayed [Egypt] 104 (1992-2005)
David Chabala [Zambia] 103 (1983-1993)
Elijah Tana [Zambia] 102* (1995-2009)
Didier Drogba [Ivory Coast] 101* (2002-2014)
Mohamed Aboutraika [Egypt] 100* (2001-2013)
Ahmed Fathi [Egypt] 100* (2002-2014)
Joseph Yobo (Nigeria)
The following are Yobo’s appearances to date:
1st (24-03-01) – Chingola – Vs Zambia – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (1-1)
2nd (21-04-01) – Freetown – Vs Sierra Leone – FIFA World Cup Qual. (0-1)
3rd (05-05-01) – P –Harcourt – Vs Liberia – FIFA World Cup Qual. (2-0)
4th (02-06-01) – Benin – Vs Madagascar – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (1-0)
5th (16-06-01) – Windhoek – Vs Namibia – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (2-0)
6th (01-07-01) – Omdurman – Vs Sudan – FIFA World Cup Qual. (4-0)
7th (29-07-01) – Port Harcourt – Vs Ghana – FIFA World Cup Qual. (3-0)
8th (12-01-02) – Bouaké – Vs Ivory Coast – Friendly (1-1)
9th (21-01-02) – Bamako – Vs Algeria – Africa Cup of Nations (1-0)
10th (24-01-02) – Bamako – Vs Mali – Africa Cup of Nations (0-0)
11th (28-01-02) – Mopti – Vs Liberia – Africa Cup of Nations (1-0)
12th (03-02-02) – Bamako – Vs Ghana – Africa Cup of Nations (1-0)
13th (07-02-02) – Bamako – Vs Senegal – Africa Cup of Nations (1-2)
14th (09- 02-02) – Mopti – Vs Mali – Africa Cup of Nations (1-0)
15th (17-04-02) – Aberdeen – Vs Scotland – Friendly (2-1)
16th (16-05-02) – Dublin –Vs Republic of Ireland – Friendly (2-1)
17th (02-06-02) – Ibaraki – Vs Argentina – FIFA World Cup (0-1)
18th (07-06-02) – Kobe – Vs Sweden – FIFA World Cup (1-2)
19th (12-06-02) – Osaka – Vs England – FIFA World Cup (0-0)
20th (29-03-03) – Blantyre – Vs Malawi – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (1-0)
21st (30-05-03) – Abuja – Vs Ghana – LG Cup (3-1)
22nd (01-06-03) – Lagos – Vs Cameroon – LG Cup (3-0)
23rd (26-07-03) – Watford – Vs Venezuela – Friendly (1-0)
24th (27-01-04) – Monastir – Vs Morocco – Africa Cup of Nations (0-1)
25th (31-01-04) – Monastir – Vs S/Africa – Africa Cup of Nations (4-0)
26th (04-02-04) – Sfax – Vs Benin – Africa Cup of Nations (2-1)
27th (08-02-04) – Monastir – Vs Cameroon – Africa Cup of Nations (2-1)
28th (11-02-04) – Tunis – Vs Tunisia – Africa Cup Nations (1-1, 3-5 pen)
29th (13-02-04) – Monastir – Vs Mali – Africa Cup of Nations (2-1)
30th (05-06-04) – Abuja – Vs Rwanda – FIFA World Cup Qual. (2-0)
31st (20-06-04) – Luanda Vs Angola – FIFA World Cup Qual. (0-1)
32nd (03-07-04) – Abuja – Vs Algeria – FIFA World Cup Qual. (1-0)
33rd (06-10-04) – Libreville – Vs Gabon – FIFA World Cup Qual. (1-1)
34th (26-03-05) – P- Harcourt – Vs Gabon – FIFA World Cup Qual. (2-0)
35th (05-06-05) – Kigali – Vs Rwanda – FIFA World Cup Qual. (1-1)
36th (18-06-05) – Kano – Vs Angola – FIFA World Cup Qual. (1-1)
37th (17-08-05) – Tripoli – Vs Libya – Friendly (1-0)
38th (04-09-05) – Oran – Vs Algeria – FIFA World Cup Qual. (5-2)
39th (08-10-05) – Abuja – Vs Zimbabwe – FIFA World Cup Qual. (5-2)
40th (23- 01-06) – Port Said – Vs Ghana – Africa Cup of Nations (1-0)
41st (27-01-06) – Port Said – Vs Zimbabwe – Africa Cup of Nations (2-0)
42nd (31-01-06) – Port Said – Vs Senegal – Africa Cup of Nations (2-1)
43rd (03-02-06) – Port Said – VsTunisia – Africa Cup of Nations (1-1, 4-3pen)
44th (07-02-06) – Alexandria – Vs Ivory Coast – Africa Cup of Nations (0-1)
45th (09-02-06) – Cairo – Vs Senegal – Africa Cup of Nations (1-0)
46th (02-09-06) – Abuja – Vs Niger – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (2-0)
47th (08-10-06) – Maseru – Vs Lesotho – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (1-0)
48th (06-02-07) – London – Vs Ghana – Friendly (1-4)
49th (24-03-07) – Abeokuta – Vs Uganda – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (1-0)
50th (02- 06-07) – Kampala – Vs Uganda – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (1-2)
51st (21-01-08) – Sekondi – Vs Cote d’Ivoire – Africa Cup of Nations (0-1)
52nd (25-01-08) – Sekondi – Vs Mali – Africa Cup of Nations (0-0)
53rd (29-01-08) – Sekondi – Vs Benin Rep – Africa Cup of Nations (2-0)
54th (03-02-08) – Accra – Vs Ghana – Africa Cup of Nations (1-2)
55th ( 27-05-08) – Graz – Vs Austria – Friendly (1-1)
56th (01-06-08) – Abuja – Vs South Africa – FIFA World Cup Qual. (2-0)
57th (07-06-08) – Freetown – Vs Sierra Leone – FIFA World Cup Qual. (1-0)
58th (15-06-08) – Malabo – Vs E/Guinea – FIFA World Cup Qual. (1-0)
59th (21-06-08) – Abuja – Vs E/Guinea – FIFA World Cup Qual. (2-0)
60th (11-10-08) – Abuja – Vs Sierra Leone – FIFA World Cup Qual. (4-0)
61st (11-02-09) – London – Vs Jamaica – Friendly (0-0)
62nd (20-06-09) – Radès – Vs Tunisia – FIFA World Cup Qual. (0-0)
63rd (06-09-09) – Abuja – Vs Tunisia – FIFA World Cup Qual. (2-2)
64th (11-10-09) – Abuja Vs Mozambique – FIFA World Cup Qual. (1-0)
65th (14-11-09) – Nairobi – Vs Kenya – FIFA World Cup Qual. (3-2)
66th (12-01-10) – Benguela – Vs Egypt – Africa Cup of Nations (1-3)
67th (16-01-10) – Benguela – Vs Benin Rep – Africa Cup of Nations (2-0)
68th (25-05-10) – Wattens – Vs Saudi Arabia – Friendly (0-0)
69th (06-06-10) – Tembisa – Vs North Korea – Friendly (3-1)
70th (12-06-10) – Johannesburg – Vs Argentina – FIFA World Cup (0-1)
71st (17-06-10) – Bloemfontein – Vs Greece – FIFA World Cup (1-2)
72nd (22-06-10) – Durban – Vs Korea Rep – FIFA World Cup (2-2)
73rd (05-09-10) – Calabar – Vs Madagascar – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (2-0)
74th (10-10-10) – Conakry – Vs Guinea – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (0-1)
75th (09-02-11) – Lagos – Vs Sierra Leone – Friendly (2-1)
76th (27-03-11) – Abuja – Vs Ethiopia – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (4-0)
77th (29-03-11) – Abuja – Vs Kenya – Friendly (3-0)
78th (01- 06-11) – Abuja – Vs Argentina – Friendly (4-1)
79th (05-06-11) – Addis Ababa – Vs Ethiopia – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (2-2)
80th (04-09-11) – Antananarivo – Vs Madagascar – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (2-0)
81st (06-09-11) – Dhaka – Vs Argentina – Friendly (1-3)
82nd (08-10-11) – Abuja – Vs Guinea – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (2-2)
83rd (11-10-11) – London – Vs Ghana – Friendly (0-0)
84th (12-11-11) – Benin City – Vs Botswana – Friendly (0-0)
85th (15-11-11) – Kaduna – Vs Zambia – Friendly (2-0)
86th (29-02-12) – Kigali – Vs Rwanda – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (0-0)
87th (08-09-12) – Monrovia – Vs Liberia – Africa Cup of Nations Qual. (2-2)
88th (09-01-13) – Faro – Vs Cape Verde – Friendly (0-0)
89th (21-01-13) – Nelspruit – Vs Burkina Faso – Africa Cup of Nations (1-1)
90th (29-01-13) – Nelspruit – Vs Ethiopia – Africa Cup of Nations (2-0)
91st (03-02-13) – Rustenburg – Vs Cote d’Ivoire – Africa Cup of Nations (2-1)
92nd (06-02-13) – Durban – Vs Mali – Africa Cup of Nations (4-0)
93rd (10-02-13) – Johannesburg – Vs Burkina Faso – Africa Cup of Nations (1-0)
94th (28-05-14) – London – Vs Scotland – Friendly (2-2)
95th (03-06-14) – Philadelphia – Vs Greece – Friendly (0-0)
96th (07-06-14) – Jacksonville – Vs USA – Friendly (1-2)
97th (16-06-14) – Curitiba – Vs Iran – FIFA World Cup (0-0)
98th (21-06-14) – Cuiaba – Vs Bosnia-Herzegovina – FIFA World Cup (1-0)
99th (25-06-14) – Porto Alegre – Vs Argentina – FIFA World Cup (2-3)
100th (30 -06-14) – Brasilia – Vs France – FIFA World Cup.
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