When Victor Moses suddenly quit the national team, it came as a surprise to many because it there were no evident causes for the winger to make such a decision.

New light has however been shed on what caused the exit of the Chelsea star from the Super Eagles through the Nigeria Football Federation.

The NFF through its second Vice Chairman, Shehu Dikko, said that the player told them he was retiring because of the coming of new Chelsea boss, Maurizio Sarri, which he announced in August 2018.

Dikko further disclosed that the 27-year old star had to end his international career because he wanted to focus solely on his club football as his place in the starting line-up was no longer guaranteed after Sarri replaced Antonio Conte.

The Vice Chairman who spoke with reporters ahead Super Eagles clash with Bafana Bafana said: “Victor Moses was very honest, he called everybody that he wanted to take this decision, that he had a new coach coming to his team, the tactics are being changed and he needed to sit up, focus and sustain his position in the first team.

”We respected his decision, at least we didn’t hear it from the media like some players did.

”He did it the proper way, discussed with his coach, the President, the team and some of us that he trusts, that this is what he wanted to do.

”We gave him our own advice, at the end of the day we have to respect his decision.”

Dikko added, “They say as one door closes, another one opens. Probably if Victor Moses was still in the team, Samuel Kalu won’t have been given a chance.

”If Victor Moses decides to come back tomorrow, at least we know we have a backup. Samuel Chukwueze also received an invitation and he’s just 19.

”If Victor Moses was there, those young boys would not have gotten a chance, Chukwueze is in the first team of Villarreal.

”He gave us two different options that we don’t have before, he’s not a conventional right winger, left-footed from the right.”

Moses who enjoyed regular starts under former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has struggled to break into Maurizio Sarri’s line up as he has fallen below the pecking order with players like Willian and Eden Hazard starting ahead of him. He has featured just three times for the Blues so far this season.