Worldcup: Musa Attracts Interest from Top European Sides

Nigeria hero Ahmed Musa insists he was not a failure at Premier League outfit Leicester City.

The 25-year-old, whose brace in the Super Eagles’ 2-0 defeat of plucky Iceland in their Group D Russia 2018 World Cup clash in Volgograd on Friday revived Nigeria’s second round qualification hopes, failed to establish himself after his reported £16m move from Russian powerhouse CSKA Moscow in 2016.

Musa, who is England’s striker Jamie Vardy’s understudy at Leicester, secured a six-month loan to his former club CSKA in January to enhance his chances of playing in the World Cup.

Following his splendid performance against Iceland, Musa is reportedly attracting interest from some top European sides including Arsenal, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, and CSKA.

The former Kano Pillars winger, who on Friday emerged as the only Nigerian player to have scored twice in two separate World Cup matches (against Argentina in 2014 and Iceland in 2018), insisted the club did not give him the opportunity to show his quality after Claudio Ranieri, who brought him to King Power Stadium, was sacked in 2017.

“Did you ever see me play?” Musa told reporters after leading Nigeria to victory against World Cup debutants Iceland.

“Did they give me any opportunity to show myself after they sacked the coach? So I don’t want to talk about that.”

He said his six-month loan in Russia helped regain confidence. He commended the Horses for the opportunity to play for them again.

Musa said, “They give me the confidence because it’s not that easy staying on the bench without playing for seven months.”