Why I retired early - Odemwingie reveals

Former Super Eagles forward, Osaze Odemwingie says a lingering injury affected his ability to continue representing Nigeria.

Speaking in a live video, Odemwingie explained his exit from Nigerian football at the age of 33, post-2014 World Cup, mentioning that despite his potential to play for a few more years, a knee injury hampered his continuation.

Odemwingie played an instrumental role for the team in his playing days, creating memorable moments up until he participated in the 2014 World Cup.

He highlighted how the injury occurred due to playing three consecutive games without proper pre-season, resulting in fatigue that led to muscle strain and the subsequent knee issue.

“Why did I stop playing for Nigeria early? It was not early. I was probably…in the World Cup 2014, I was 33. Yeah, I could still play a few years but I got injured right after the World Cup. I had no preseason on that week, I played three games in a role. My legs were tired. So my muscles didn’t hold the knee in a position that usually it will hold. It would hold the knee but the knee just went. Yeah, the quads were tired” he said.

Although reports previously suggested a dispute between Odemwingie and Nigeria’s coach Stephen Keshi during the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Odemwingie still found himself included in Nigeria’s 30-man provisional squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in May 2014, ultimately securing a place in the final 23-man squad for the tournament in June.

NBA