NFF Plans Big For Yobo’s 100th Cap

Nigeria Football Federation, NFF is planning to make a splash in celebration of Joseph Yobo’s impending 100-cap mark.

The Super Eagles captain is five appearances short of 100 caps and will become the first ever Nigerian player to join the century club.

“It will be a thing of pride and joy for all Nigerians to get a player in that esteemed group and we plan to honour him by marking the occasion in a big way when it happens,” a member of the NFF executive committee told newsmen on Monday.

But the official admitted that that will only happen if Yobo’s public rift with coach Stephen Keshi is resolved and the defender returns to the squad.

NFF officials are hoping that a planned peace meeting between coach and captain will resolve any differences between the pair and allow Yobo to make history.

“It is an embarrassment for us that we claim to be a footballing nation, yet we have never had any player reach 100 caps,” the NFF official lamented.

“Of course it is the coach’s decision who he selects for his team, but we hope that we can resolve this matter between them amicably and he can bring Yobo back into the team because it will be a thing of pride for everyone to get a player into that prestigious group.

“And as we can see, it is not like Yobo is warming the bench at his club. He is playing regularly and we saw him play 90 minutes over two legs in their Europa League quarterfinal against Lazio.”

Nigeria is set to play six games in June, with the potential for a further two if they advance to the latter stages of the Confederations Cup.

A friendly against Mexico on May 31 will be followed by 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Kenya and Namibia before going off to Brazil for the Confed Cup.

If Yobo returns to the squad and plays a part in every game during the summer, he would reach the century mark on June 20 against Uruguay.