Dele Aiyenugba Wants Ahmed Musa To Feature In 2023 AFCON

Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Dele Aiyenugba has urged the national team to include Nigeria’s most capped player, Ahmed Musa in the 2023 AFCON squad.

Dele Aiyenugba who won two AFCON bronze medals, in 2006 and 2010, argued that the Super Eagles will need the experience of Musa at the 2023 AFCON which will commence in Ivory Coast on January 13.

Musa who is currently 31 years old has not played for the Super Eagles since September even though he is still seen as the team’s captain.

So far, the former Kano Pillars forward has missed the Super Eagles’ last five games due to fitness issues and lack of form.

But last weekend, Musa proved that he is not done with football by scoring a goal in his Turkish club Sivasspor’s 2-1 win over Arnavutkoy in the Turkish Cup. That was the forward’s first goal since February 2022.

Despite such inconsistency, Dele Aiyenugba, 40, who is currently contracted to Kwara United, insisted that the Super Eagles need the services of the record 108-capped Musa.

“When I joined the national team, our legend Nwankwo Kanu was not playing. He was usually subbed on but was always there as the captain. We still need Ahmed Musa on the team. It doesn’t matter if he holds a starting position or not. A leader in the team has much to offer on and off the pitch,” Aiyenugba told the Punch.

“This is the AFCON, and you need the right mentality. So, when you have players like Musa who even started from Nigeria, he will be able to understand everyone’s differences and carry the entire team especially when you are having a blend of home-based and foreign-based players.”