Chad Veteran Mahamat Labbo Retires From International Football

Stade Olympique Choletais midfielder Mahamat Labbo announced on Tuesday he was retiring from international football.

Zagal -as he is known on the Chadian streets- is quitting international football after serving the national team for almost two decades.

The 33-year-old former ES Bonchamp star said it had been a really difficult decision to leave the Les Sao.

“I want to thank all the supporters of Sao. I would have liked to end my journey with the national team by a Africa Cup of Nations qualification, but unfortunately the fate of football decided otherwise,” Labbo said in a statement on Facebook.

” For me, the adventure ends there, I leave room for the young. I wore the national team jerseys with pride, love and determination for 16 years. But I will stay a Sao.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all those who have accompanied me during the 16 years in the national team. Thanks to all the supporters, leaders, all the selectors I met in the national team.

“Thanks to coach Modou, the one who kicked me off at my debut in the national team. I am and I will always be. We are all going to work towards the definitive change in our football.”

Labbo has just retired after Chad failed to make to the group stages of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after they were eliminated by The Gambia.

Chad has never qualified for the AFCON due mostly to lack of funding that consistently makes them pull out mid-way into the qualifiers.