As Ahmed Musa celebrates his birthday today, DGossip247.com shares five reasons why he is gradually becoming a force to reckon with in the Nigerian football circle.
The CSKA Moscow striker, and the current highest goal scorer in the Russian league was recently made the new Super Eagles captain by Sunday Oliseh in a space of his three years sojourn with the senior national team in Nigeria.
Happy birthday @NGSuperEagles captain Ahmed Musa. Hope your birthday brings you everything you have ever wished for pic.twitter.com/hV6di4r1EC
— The NFF (@thenff) October 14, 2015
Here are five reasons why Musa is slowing becoming the darling of Nigerian football.
1. He is now a captain: You cannot be the captain of a ship if the crew hate you. You have to be respected and feared by your comrades and one suspects the same goes for Musa in the Super Eagles camp.
Coach Sunday Oliseh overlooked the likes of Efe Ambrose and John Obi Mikel to hand the captain’s armband to Musa after a clash with Vincent Enyeama which led to his retirement.
The captaincy in Nigeria is reserved for the most respected and ones whose influence will tell on others. Think Stephen Keshi, Vincent Enyeama, Nwankwo Kanu, Austin Jay Jay Okocha and Joseph Yobo.
2. He has years ahead to break Enyeama’s record caps: Musa is just 23 years old and already has 51 caps for Nigeria. If he stays fit and plays consistently, he will break Enyeama’s record before his thirtieth birthday. He is one of the ‘elder statesmen’ in the team and slowly his experience is beginning to tell on the team.
He has refined his game and selects his options carefully. With age come experience and maturity. If Musa continues his steady development, he should surpass Enyeama’s 101 cap.
3. He is a regular for his club, CSKA Moscow: Nigerians love their stars playing in the big leagues in Europe consistently. One of the reasons why Mikel Obi is not so extolled in Nigeria is simple; he does not play often for Chelsea.
Musa plays often and has seen action 124 times in the last three and a half years for CSKA moscow which is an average of 30 games a season for his club. He is also a good goalscorer for his club albeit playing from the wing, 36 goals in the same period.
For Nigeria, he scored two goals in the Super Eagles final Group F match, a 3–2 defeat to Argentina in the 2014 world cup. He also has 11 goals in 54 appearances for Nigeria.
4. He is decisive for CSKA Moscow, Nigeria and media friendly: Everyone likes a decisive player. One who with a moment of brilliance, can bail out his team.
Musa has done that numerous times for CSKA and Nigeria. His brace in the Champions League play-offs put his club in the group stages.
Musa is one who is always ready to talk to the media. Just like Odion Ighalo, Musa is ready to pick up a journalist’s call to clarify issues. Such behaviour has endeared him to Nigerians.
He is always on hand to assist his coaches to press conference and with the composure and maturity of a fifty year old, Musa jokes and answers questions.
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| Ahmed Musa and wife, Jemila have two children together |
5. Is there really any other Nigerian who shows the kind of quality he does?:Every country loves to have its biggest stars play in the best league, perform consistently and listed as one of the best n their position in the world. Musa fits all these criteria and much more.
Vincent Enyeama was widely seen as the only world class player in the Super Eagles and following his retirement Nigerians are looking for the next big fish to feast on, enter Ahmed Musa.
That title of ‘most loved’ Nigerian player could have easily fallen on the really talented Mikel Obi but he is not getting chances and Musa is probably the only player in the Eagles squad playing in an elite league in an elite competition and is really talented.
Some Nigerians will point to Odion Ighalo as another consistent player, but he is not playing in the Europa League or the Champions league like Musa does.
Musa has time and age to move to the EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga or Serie A, but make no mistake, one disastrous move could spell the end of a player’s career.
Happy 23rd birthday Ahmed Musa.
