Who Is Ahmed Musa? And Why Is He Nigeria’s Soccer Star?

We are still recovering from the intense 2022 FIFA Soccer World Cup. It featured so many upsets, particularly ones we never saw coming. It also gave us a glimpse into the lives of the next generation of soccer superstars. But best of all, Lionel Messi finally reached his goal when he lifted the trophy for Argentina. Soccer is also one of the world’s biggest sports, and even more so in Africa. One African nation that simply worships soccer is Nigeria. The national team has participated in the world cup six times, with 2018 being the last, and has produced some top players such as Kelechi Iheanacho, Victor Osimhen, and Ahmed Musa. Let’s take a look at what the future holds for Ahmed Musa.

Background

Born on 14 October 1992 in Jos, Nigeria, Ahmed comes from a mixed religious background and has three siblings. As with most young people in Nigeria, becoming a soccer star is a dream come true; for Ahmed, it was his goal to one day play for his home nation, a dream he would come to realize.

Journey with soccer

Soccer odds can greatly influence a game, as well as that of a player. And sometimes that influence is needed for that particular player to succeed. When we look at Ahmed Musa, his influences are spread far and wide. He started his professional soccer journey at GBS Football Academy from 2008 until 2010. He was then loaned to JUTH FC, where he played 18 games. During this one year of playing, he scored only four goals.

From 2009 to 2010, he was then loaned to Kano Pillars, where he played 25 games and scored 18 goals. That same year, he was signed to VVV-Venlo for three years until 2012 and appeared 37 times while scoring only eight goals. From 2012 to 2016, Ahmed moved to CSKA Moscow, where he appeared 125 times and scored 42 goals.

But this youngster was not going anywhere anytime soon. From 2016 to 2018, he broke into English soccer and played for Leicester City, appearing only 21 times and scoring two goals. His next stint was from 2018 to 2020, where he played for Al Nassr. He played 50 games and scored only nine goals. Come 2021 and Ahmed went back to Kano Pillars for a year and, in that same year, joined Fatih Karagümrük with 24 games under his belt with two goals. Currently, he plays for Sivasspor.

International career

Playing for Nigeria’s national side is a major honor. None of Nigeria’s former and current players take it for granted. Ahmed played for both the under-20 and under-23 teams. And has been playing for Nigeria’s national side since 2010 and has featured in 107 games, scoring 16 goals. His most memorable appearance was at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he scored twice against Argentina in one game and became the first Nigerian to score two goals in one world cup game.

Accolades and the future

Ahmed has won many awards, which pretty much put his future on a pedestal. Here are his top accolades:

With CSKA:

• Russian Premier League: 2012 – 2013, 2013 – 2014, and 2015 – 2016
• Russia Cup: 2012 – 2013
• Russian Super Cup: 2013 and 2014

With Al Nassr:

• Saudi Professional League: 2018 – 2019
• Saudi Super Cup: 2019

Nigeria Under 20:

• African Youth Championship: 2011

Nigeria:

• WAFU Nations Cup: 2010
• African Cup of Nations: 2013

But Ahmed also won individual awards, including

• Nigeria Premier League top scorer: 2009 – 2010
• Russian Top scorer: 2012 – 2013
• CAF Team of the Year: 2014

So, what’s next for Ahmed? Well, he has always been driven to play in European leagues. This has arguably been the soccer star’s biggest motivation. Currently, he plays in Turkey. He has changed clubs multiple times during his career, all because he is dead set on finding his spot, whether at an English club, playing in La Liga, or even Serie A. After the Super Eagles did not qualify for last year’s world cup, their captain, Ahmed, was rightfully disappointed. This further drove his ambition to join a European league.

In September 2022, Ahmed signed a two-year deal with Sivasspor. This move will propel the Nigerian soccer star to the leagues he wants to break into. But not only that, he is on a mission to save Sivasspor from relegation in the Super Lig. Will we see him in the Premier or Champions League in the next few seasons? With his ambition, we sure hope so!