BEVERLY HILLS, April 12, (THEWILL) – When the January transfer window shut this year and Nigeria’s Super Eagles’ captain, free agent and English Premier League hopeful, Ahmed Musa, failed in his overt bid to secure a dream move to the English Premier League, the continuity of the 28-year-old’s professional football career became mired in uncertainty. It also became difficult selecting him to feature for Nigeria.
To get him regular football for personal fitness and in a calculated move aimed at boosting the status of the domestic football of the local league, it has been revealed that Musa is weighing a high-level proposition to feature for his previous domestic club, the last side he played for before leaving Nigeria’s shores, Kano Pillars.
Musa has been a free agent since leaving Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr in October. In the intervening period, the pacy forward has received offers from England, Russia and Turkey, all of which he has taken his good time to mull over in determining his next European destination when the transfer business begins in the summer.
For the time being, however, Musa has received a proposition from Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the Governor of Kano State, and from Shehu Dikko, the Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC) to use his free time for a short stint in the local league in the country.
Revealing this himself, the 28-year-old said: “After speaking with the Governor and the Chairman of the LMC I am considering to play some games for Kano pillars. Anything that improves the image of Nigerian football is something that I strive to embark on and Kano Pillars holds a special place in my heart.
“It’s the team that helped me become the professional footballer I am today, so this is more than just football but a very strong bond.”
It appears it is not long before Musa dons the colours of Pillars and features for the joint-leading side of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) as the deal has already been finalised.
The former Leicester City player, who has built two training and fitness facilities in Northern Nigeria to help grassroots football, scored 18 goals for Kano Pillars to finish as top scorer in the 2009/10 NPFL season before leaving to VV-Venlo on loan.
The LMC, which runs the NPFL, hopes that Musa’s time in the local league will dovetail with his desire to help promote the league’s image on social media.
Although clubless, Musa made his 96th appearance for Nigeria in their 3-0 win over Lesotho in Lagos in the Super Eagles final Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. It makes him the third most capped player of the Super Eagles after Vincent Enyeama, with 101 caps and Joseph Yobo with 100.
In 2013, Musa helped the Super Eagles win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and played for them in the past two World Cup series, scoring each time.
He scored twice for Nigeria at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup tournaments to become the country’s top World Cup goalscorer of all time.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
