Russia2018: Hard Facts You Don’t Know About Ahmed Musa
Ahmed Musa is one player that will make waves in Russia. The Nigerian footballer who coincidentally plays for Russian club CSKA Moscow, will feel at home as he will be employed to help coach Rohr achieve the World cup Dream.
Here are some hard facts you don’t know about the striker who also happens to be a left winger
Ahmed Musa (born 14 October 1992) is Musa is the first Nigerian to score more than once in a FIFA World Cup match after scoring twice against Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In April 2010 under Coach Lars Lagerbäck, he was called up to join the Nigeria national football team camp prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa after helping the Nigerian team win in the 2010 WAFU Nations Cup where he scored a goal against Benin.
In the same tournament against Burkina Faso, Musa’s goal deep into extra-time shot Nigeria into the finals of the tournament in Abeokuta. He was however forced out of the Super Eagles’ 30-man World Cup roster due to an ankle injury.
On 5 August 2010, at the age of 17, Musa made his debut for the Nigeria senior team in a qualification match for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations against Madagascar, where he came on as a substitute for John Obi Mikel in a 2–0 win. Musa scored his first goal for the Super Eagles in a March 2011 friendly against Kenya.
In April 2011, Ahmed Musa was included in the Nigeria national under-20 football team squad to represent the nation in the 2011 African Youth Championship qualifiers, even though VVV Venlo had declared him unavailable for the tournament due to club commitments. After some intense negotiations with the Nigerian Federation, VVV Venlo and Musa’s representatives it was agreed that Musa will shuttle between the Netherlands and South Africa to participate in the tournament with the national team. After the opening game against defending champions Ghana, Musa won the most valuable player award and boarded the next flight back to the Netherlands.
In August 2011, Musa represented Nigeria U20 in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Colombia, where he scored three goals in five matches. Musa was included by FIFA in shortlist of 10 candidates for the Adidas Golden Ball, which was awarded to the most outstanding player of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
On 7 December 2011, Ahmed Musa was one of the four nominees named for the Confederation of African Football Most Promising Talent Award, however the award went to Côte d’Ivoire’s Souleymane Coulibaly.
Musa was called up to Nigeria’s 23-man squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. He scored in a 4–1 semi-final defeat of Mali and appeared as a substitute against Burkina Faso in the final, as the Super Eagles won their third continental title. Overall, he appeared in five of the team’s six matches. At the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, he started in all three of the team’s matches as they were eliminated in the group stage.
After appearing in all of Nigeria’s qualifying matches, Musa was named in Stephen Keshi’s squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He scored two goals in the team’s final Group F match, a 3–2 defeat to Argentina.
In May 2018 he was named in Nigeria’s preliminary 30-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia
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