Nigeria Football Federation Admits Error, Says FIFA Right on Ahmed Musa’s Appearance Record

Nigeria Football Federation Admits Error, Says FIFA Right on Ahmed Musa’s Appearance Record

Babajide Orevba
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:50 PM
  • Ahmed Musa has played in 100 matches for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, but FIFA claim the star appeared in 98 official games
  • Following his appearance in Super Eagles’ 2-1 win over Cape verde in the World Cup qualifiers, Musa is believed to have reached a centurion of caps
  • The NFF has now admitted the error as it was stated that previous games against Togo and then Algeria did not count

New statement by the Nigerian Football Federation admits that FIFA’s record of 98 caps for the Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa is right, TheNFF reports.

It was gathered that two previous games which the star played in were nullified and do not count as a FIFA approved game.

The president of the NFF Amaju Pinnick earlier stated that the football house will reward Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa with N10million for reaching 100 caps.

Nigeria Football Federation Admits Error, Says FIFA Right on Ahmed Musa’s Record
Ahmed Musa has officially played 98 matches. Photo: Ulrik Pedersen
Source: Getty Images

At the age of 17, Musa made his senior team debut on August 5, 2010, in a qualification match for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations against Madagascar after he came on as a substitute for Mikel Obi in the 2-0 win.

He scored his first goal for the Super Eagles in a March 2011 friendly against Kenya and following his appearance against Cape Verde in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier, 28-year-old Musa reached 100 caps.

However in a new turn of events, FIFA claimed that Musa has been involved in 98 official games and that two matches were nullified.

The NFF has now said via the director of communications Ademola Olajire:

“We defer to FIFA in this regard, so Ahmed Musa has 98 caps. If he features, as expected, in the home-and-away matches against Central African Republic in October, he will clock the tally of 100 and the celebrations will follow in full flow."

FIFA said on Tuesday that Musa’s appearances in the 3-0 defeat of Togo in a friendly match in Paris in June 2017 and the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 qualifier against Algeria in Constantine in November 2017 did not count.

The match against Togo was struck off as both Nigeria and Togo made more than the regular number of changes in the game, while the encounter in Constantine, which ended 1-1, was deleted because Nigeria fielded an ineligible player and the result was overturned.

Algeria awarded the game, even as Nigeria had already picked the World Cup ticket before the tie.

Osimhen eligible for Juventus match

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is now eligible to play Napoli’s Serie A showdown against Juventus scheduled for Saturday, September 11 at the Diego Amando Maradona stadium.

The Napoli striker won the appeal to reduce his two-match ban after he was sent off in Napoli’s opening game of the campaign against Venezia.

The 22-year-old was walked out of Stadio Sao Paolo following a violent conduct, but the decision seemed too harsh.

Authors
Babajide Orevba photo
Babajide Orevba
Babajide Orevba is a CAF accredited Nigerian journalist and HOD of the Local Desk with over 10 years of experience in media landscape.He studied NCE Political Science/Social Studies, AOCOED.
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