Nigeria national football team captain Ahmed Musa has sounded a note of warning to his teammates ahead of their crunch AFCON qualifiers 2023 fixtures match with Sierra Leone.
The José Peseiro-led Super Eagles have all to play for in Liberia on Sunday 18 June 2023. The three-time AFCON champions could lose the top spot with a loss and delay their qualification to the final matchday, which could also put their chances in jeopardy if they fail to make it past Sao Tome and Principe. Musa is aware of this possibility and has taken to the media to charge his teammates.
Super Eagles lands in Liberia & they are ready to battle Sierra Leone. pic.twitter.com/rFbDcmURRf
— POOJA!!! (@PoojaMedia) June 17, 2023
“Nigerians will be disappointed,” Musa says to teammates
The Super Eagles landed in Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia on Saturday ahead of their game against Sierra Leone. They spent the day taking in the scenery before resting and embarking on light training ahead of their Sierra Leone game.
Before the trip, captain Ahmed Musa did media rounds with the manager Peseiro to talk to Nigerians through the Nigeria football news reporters and journalists.
At the presser, both Musa and Peseiro assured Nigerians that they are coming back from their trip to Liberia with the AFCON ticket. Musa, however, sounded a note of warning to his teammates, charging them to put their all into the game so that they come back with the win.
Final Training Done at the SKD Stadium, Monrovia, Liberia! #SoarSuperEagles #AFCON2023Q pic.twitter.com/LjW8ARFgQG
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) June 17, 2023
He pointed out that Nigerian fans will make them the talk of the town in a bad way if they lose to Sierra Leone in Monrovia. “We know that it is not going to be easy, maybe we win 10-0 it's nothing new. They'll say definitely you can do it but when we lose against them, it will be talk of the town,” Musa, who has one start in his last 17 Super Eagles appearances, told reporters. We know the importance so we have to do our best to win that game by God's grace.”
The former Kano Pillars forward, whose presence in the team is still being questioned by Nigerian fans, was pulling from his memories of the past 18 months while making those comments.
Peseiro explains Musa inclusion in Super Eagles squad
Peseiro's full list is still drawing criticism from Nigerian fans even as the match draws near. Having explained the exclusion of Terem Moffi, he has also given his reasons for Ahmed Musa's inclusion.
Musa is the man with the most caps for Nigeria and the team's leading goalscorer in the FIFA World Cup. He has worn the captain armband for the better part of three years thanks to his vast experience in the team. Peseiro listed these reasons as why Musa continues to get call-ups ahead of other talented players like Gift Orban.
Like me or hate me, a day will come that you will tell your kids a story about Ahmed Musa MON 💃🎉🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/cNvtP2pMPS
— Ahmed Musa MON (@Ahmedmusa718) June 10, 2023
“When building a team, you consider all situations and actions,” Peseiro told the media. “I believe Musa can play for us, and we need his core experience, leadership, and command. His presence in the squad will create team spirit, organisation, and a sense of unity.”
Musa also urged his teammates, most of who play in Europe, to not complain about the state of the pitch and put their heads down to win the game. He cited the difficulty in African football while also asking that they tailor their mentality to the match in order to come back to Nigeria with the ticket.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
