On 5 August 2010, at the age of 17, Ahmed Musa made his debut for the Nigeria senior national team in a qualification match for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations against Madagascar, where he came on as a substitute for Mikel John Obi in a 2–0 win. Musa scored his first goal for the Super Eagles in a March 2011 friendly against Kenya.
For 13 years, the hard-working Jos-born footballer has been a constant feature in the Super Eagles squad. To his credit, the 27-year old former Kano Pillars hero has etched his name in the annals of Nigeria football folklore. Musa is Nigeria’s leading scorer at the World Cup with 4 goals.
Musa grabbed a brace against Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup to become the first Nigerian to score more than once in a FIFA World Cup match.
In the following edition too, the then Al Nassr forward repeated the feat, scoring twice in the 2-0 win over Iceland, overtaking the late legendary Rashidi Yekini who scored three World Cup goals. In Africa, Musa is only bettered by Cameroon legend Roger Milla (5goals) and Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan(6) in the continental rankings.
Musa’s exploits with the national team has seen him win the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa in 2013. He has remained a constant feature in the Nigerian national team since 2010, even when his contribution to the squad’s overall output has been diminishing over the years.
The last time Ahmed Musa played a full 90 minutes match for Nigeria was the 2019 AFCON semi final against Algeria on 14 July 2019. The Super Eagles lost that match 2-1 with Daniel Akpeyi between the posts.
Since then, the much-travelled player has been making cameo appearances for the national team much to the chagrin of many football fans and technocrats.
Notwithstanding, each time there is an international engagement, his name is always the first on national team selectors’ list. His continuous invitation to the national team has been questioned by many who believe his time with the Super Eagles is up. Although coach Jose Peseiro and his employers, the NFF have constantly defended Musa’s continuous presence in the national team with beautiful words; of him being a born leader whose presence elicits mutual understanding between
the players and the coach on the one hand, and between the players and the NFF leadership on the other, it is evident that the former Leicester City forward is no longer that youthful player with a sprint in his feet that made many a football fan call him Okada, a euphemism that depicted him to be running as fast as a motorcycle, locally called okada. His name is always on Peseiro’s squad list but hardly found in the team sheet on match days. It is therefore glaring that Ahmed Musa’s continued selection in the Super Eagles as a non playing captain has been counter productive.
His selection denies a younger player the chance to shine for Nigeria. If he must be in the national team set up, then he should be elevated to the next level as his being registered as a player – who hardly plays, is a great disservice to younger Nigerian players who could have brought into the team a new verve, virtuosity and dynamism.
Ahmed Musa is the most capped Nigeria international, won a Nations Cup medal, won an AFCON bronze and made a remarkable impact in his country’s socioeconomic life. If he must be in the Super Eagles set up, Musa can be elevated to the position of an assistant coach, welfare officer of the team or a liaison officer between the coaches, the NFF and the players because of his much vaunted leadership skill and the harmony he brings to the team. Let it be known that Musa is a surplus in the national team. Enough of his glorification as a player when he no longer plays for the team. It is time new Ahmed Musas were discovered as whatever has a beginning must have an end.
VANGUARD
