Kwara United goalkeeper Dele Aiyenugba anticipates that Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa’s experience will be crucial for Nigeria’s bid to secure a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title in Ivory Coast.
The 2023 tournament, scheduled from January 13 to February 11, kicks off with Nigeria facing Equatorial Guinea.
Aiyenugba, looking ahead to the Eagles’ provisional list release, sees Musa, a key figure in Nigeria’s 2013 triumph, as a potential inspiration for the squad aiming for a fourth title a decade later.
Despite Musa’s recent exclusion from national team games since September, speculations arise about his future in the squad.
Aiyenugba, 40, is a two-time bronze medallist at the AFCON in 2006 and 2010 and believes the Eagles need his experience.
“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 our correspondent.
“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.”
Having missed out on the last five national team assignments, Musa scored for his Turkish club Sivasspor in their Turkish Cup 2-1 victory against Arnavutkoy last weekend which was his first goal since February 2022.
The 31-year-old who scored one goal in 2013 en route to Nigeria’s triumph is the most capped Super Eagles player with 108 appearances.
