No hate – Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa sends message to critics after making Nigeria’s squad to AFCON 2023

The former Leicester City and CSKA Moscow winger is Nigeria’s most capped player, with more than a century of appearances for the three-time African champions

Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa has reacted philosophically to his inclusion in Nigeria’s final 25-man squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Super Eagles’ most-capped player with 108 appearances, Musa is the only active Nigerian footballer to have won the African Cup of Nations and scored multiple times at the World Cup.

But despite being only 31, the former Kano Pillars forward is thought by many to be past his prime and should have called it a day with his international career.

However, Peseiro, judging by his preference for Musa, realises that the former Leicester City ace’s experience and leadership qualities make him a crucial element for the national team at the AFCON.

What is Ahmed Musa doing in the list? https://t.co/X18HYGJJrn

— Chude Nnamdi (@chude__) December 30, 2023
Fans have taken to social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), to express their displeasure with Musa’s inclusion in the squad going to Ivory Coast next month.

In his first post on X, since he was named to the AFCON squad, Musa has responded to his critics.

The 2019 Saudi Premier League winner with Al Nassr clarifies that he has no hatred in his heart, even for people trying to pull him down.

“Let no man pull you low enough to hate him,” Musa wrote, along with a video of him in Sokoto pressing his phone while a narrator sings his praises in Hausa. 

Aside from Musa, coach Peseiro also included Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface, Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho, and Real Sociedad’s Umar Sadiq in what could be the most fearsome attack at the AFCON.

While Musa made the squad, there was no room for OGC Nice’s Terem Moffi, Glasgow Rangers’ Cyriel Dessers, and Paul Onuachu, who have been excellent in France, Scotland, and Turkey this season.