The 33-year-old became the first Nigerian to play 100 international matches but capped it with an own goal in added time against Les Bleus.
He followed in the footsteps of Nwankwo Kanu who announced his retirement after the 2010 World Cup.
“It was a bitter-sweet moment for me, but I think it is time to focus on my family,” Yobo told reporters. “It has been a long road.”
Yobo made his debut with the Super Eagles in 2001, but became a mainstay of the team during the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan.
He played at three World Cups and won the Africa Cup of Nations as captain last year.
“We’ve won the Africa Nations Cup and we came here and were not disgraced,” said the Fenerbahce man.
“I never thought that I’d be here because I missed the last six games of the season through injury. They gave me an opportunity but it is unfortunate what happened.
“I gave my all,” he said.
However, Yobo thought that he’s 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.”
The defender said he would like to concentrate on club football afterwards.
Edging Nigeria out, my proudest moments – Pogba
Juventus star, Paul Pogba was delighted with his goalscoring role in France knocking out the Super Eagles and says he has dreamt of this World Cup momentThe midfielder scored in the 79th minute of the last-16 clash in Brasilia to put Les Bleus into the lead after Super Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama flapped at a corner. Joseph Yobo’s own-goal in stoppage-time secured the quarter-final berth for Didier Deschamps’ men. Pogba was immensely pleased with his role in the victory over Stephen Keshi’s men and hoped that any doubts about the national team had been obliterated with progress to the quarter-finals.
“I knew there was a whole country that would support us – scoring that goal has freed us,” the Juventus star told TF1.
“I am very happy for the team and for the whole of France. Playing in the last eight of the World Cup has always been a dream of mine.
“This is one of the proudest moments of my life.”
France will face either Germany or Algeria in the last eight of the World Cup, with Brazil or Colombia waiting in the semi-finals for the victor.
If it is to be the Germans next up it is a proposition which does not fear Pogba.
“Why should we be afraid of Germany? We are not afraid of anyone. We are the national team of France. We will play whoever we get and play to win. We will always give everything,” he said.
“Of course we would love to play Brazil. I remember watching France-Brazil when I was a kid in 1998. There’s a nice rivalry. It would be great to meet them again. But we have to take things one step at a time.
“I am really happy that we won. I was man of the match, but it was a team effort. I wouldn’t have been here without my team-mates.”
Brazil press officer suspended by FIFA
Brazil press officer Rodrigo Paiva has been provisionally suspended by Fifa following an incident with Chile player Mauricio Pinilla during Saturday’s World Cup last-16 match.The communications officer will miss Friday’s game with Colombia on Friday pending the outcome of Fifa’s investigation into an alleged punch he threw at Pinilla at half-time. “I defended myself when he came near me. I reacted by shoving him,” he said.
Fifa say its investigation is ongoing. Brazil won 3-2 on penalties in Belo Horizonte to reach the quarter-finals. The hosts will face Colombia in Fortaleza.
Match officials were unfair to Nigeria, Keshi insists
Stephen Keshi believes the match officials did Nigeria few favours as they bowed out of the World Cup at the hands of France.The Nigeria coach had aired his disappointment at the standard of refereeing in a contest, which could have gone either way. A late Paul Pogba goal and an unfortunate own goal from Joseph Yobo saw France to a 2-0 win, but one they had to work exceptionally hard for.
Nigeria bossed proceedings at times, leaving their more illustrious opponents frustrated and lacking in ideas.
“On two occasions Onazi had very bad tackles. He’s out now probably for weeks. This is the first time in my life I speak about the referee but it wasn’t good.”
They also had the ball in the net at one stage, as Emmanuel Emenike turned home a first-half cross, but they were to be left wondering what might have been.
Keshi felt that effort should have been allowed to stand, with the assistant referee getting an offside call wrong, while he was also of the opinion that Blaise Matuidi should have seen red for a reckless challenge, which forced Ogenyi Onazi from the field on a stretcher when the game was still goalless.
He said: “I am not happy with the officiating.
“On two occasions Onazi had very bad tackles. He’s out now probably for weeks.
“This is the first time in my life I speak about the referee but it wasn’t good.
“If you look at the goal that we scored I don’t think there was any infringement.
“I would love to know the reason why the referee disallowed the goal.”
Brazil experience “terrible” –Kevin-Prince Boateng
Ghanaian midfielder, Kevin-Prince Boateng is none to pleased with his country’s football federation and how they organized their 2014 World Cup campaign. Boateng was sent home before Ghana’s final match against Portugal, and it not appears that he may not have any interest in resolving the dispute.In an interview with German newspaper Sport Bild, Boateng unloaded on Ghana’s FA calling them ‘amateurish’. “It was a nightmare from the first day to the very end. I never thought that anybody could organise a World Cup so badly — from the flights to the hotels, everything was so amateurish.
“After our first training camp in Amsterdam, we flew in two groups to Miami because there was apparently not enough room on the flights. Half of us went via Atlanta, the other half via New York. We sat around in the airport for nine hours and were travelling for a total of 19 [hours].”
The flight from Miami to Brazil a week later was 12 hours and we were sat, cramped in in economy. It was hard on our legs. It may sound a little strange to normal people, but for a professional sportsman it’s unreasonable. At the same time, the president was sat in business [class]with his wife and two children.
Then we finally got a charter flight in Brazil, but they managed to lose my luggage. I didn’t have any boots or any tape for days. I had nothing. It was a disaster.
Boateng also said that the accommodations for the team before the first game against theUnited States were poor, saying the rooms were “damp” and that there was water “dropping from the ceiling”.
The midfielder, along with Sulley Muntari, was sent home early by head coach Kwesi Appiah, following reports that he and Muntari exchanged heated words during training. According to Boateng, they were just joking around.
I was just joking around with Muntari during a practice match, making fun of him and saying maybe he would be better off being a referee instead, but the coach thought I had insulted him, which wasn’t true. The truth is the coach already had problems with me and he started insulting me in front of everybody.
My teammates witnessed it all. That is what happened. And then I ask myself: this happened on Sunday and I was only sent packing the following Thursday.
Boateng went on to say that the real reason behind him being sent home was that he questioned the allocation of money from FIFA by the Ghanaian FA.
We’re honoured to be wearing our country’s colours, but why did our federation not invest some of the considerable amount of money they had received from FIFA in letting us live this whole experience a bit better?
With the money they earned, we could have had our families out here, but instead our whole experience in Brazil was terrible.
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