Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa has come out to assure fans that the team will pull out all stops to snatch the 6 points on offer against CAR across two legs of this current round world Cup qualifiers.
“We have a mission, which is to collect all the six points from the two matches”,said Musa.
Several fans have recently questioned the continued invitation of Musa himself. The perception is that he is past his prime and for him to graciously give way to other younger, vibrant and dynamic wingers.
But I feel Musa is still holds relevance to the national team.
The 28 year old striker has grown to become such an avuncular presence in the national team camp whose positive impact extends beyond the pitch.
Even on the pitch, he does exude leadership that psychologically lifts the team when they need a boost. If you recall, the capitulation to Sierra Leone really took off after Musa was taken off in 62 minutes.
Also Musa is a versatile forward who can be deployed in multiple positions.
In this last match, the Fatih Karagümrük man was utilised as an attacking midfielder, a role which he might yet reprise tomorrow owing to the absence of Alex Iwobi.
In fact the midfield set up has been decimated by injuries to key players. If Nigeria were facing a tougher opposition, there would have been much anxiety among fans about absences to players like Ndidi, Etebo and Iwobi! You wouldn’t want to face Ghana, Cameroon or Algeria with such manpower deficits.
However, Central Africa Republic should not be difficult for the current replacements to handle. That is not to take the opposition for granted, rather it is a vote of confidence on the Super Eagles players in camp and their ability to fill the unfortunate voids.
In the last match against Cape Verde, the fringe players that were called upon stood up to be counted. Three valuable points were drawn from a rather tricky opposition.
Now, some of them have the opportunity to do it all over again across 2 legs.
How the team performs against CAR in both matches will show whether Nigeria truly have strength in-depth more so in midfield.
Captain Musa has already promised us fans maximum 6 points across both legs.
While this itself will be great if it happens, it is the manner of these victories and the brand of football displayed that keen eyed observers will be most looking out for!