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Eagles need Musa’s leadership – Aiyenugba
According to PUNCH Sports Extra, Kwara United keeper Dele Aiyenugba thinks that Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa's experience will help Nigeria win an Africa Cup of Nations title in Ivory Coast for the fourth time.
The first match of the 2023 tournament, which pits Nigeria against Equatorial Guinea, takes place from January 13 to February 11.
Musa, who was a member of the team that won Nigeria's third title in South Africa in 2013, is thought to have the ability to motivate the team to win a fourth title ten years later, according to Aiyenugba, ahead of the announcement of the Eagles' preliminary roster for the competition.
Since September, Musa has been left out of the national team's recent matches, missing five of them and implying that his days in the national team might be numbered.
The 40-year-old Aiyenugba, who won bronze medals in the AFCON in both 2006 and 2010, feels that the Eagles need his experience.
Nwankwo Kanu, our national team legend, wasn't playing when I joined. Though he was frequently substituted, he was the captain at all times. Ahmed Musa must remain a member of the team. Whether or not he has a starting position is irrelevant. Both on and off the pitch, a team leader has a lot to offer', Aiyenugba informed our correspondent.
"You must have the appropriate mindset because this is the AFCON. Thus, if you have players like Musa, who even began his career in Nigeria, he will be able to accommodate everyone's differences and lead the team, particularly if you have a mix of domestic and international players.
Musa, who has been absent from the last five national team assignments, scored his first goal since February 2022 last weekend for his Turkish club Sivasspor in their 2-1 Turkish Cup victory over Arnavutkoy.
With 108 appearances, the 31-year-old is the Super Eagles player with the most caps. He scored one goal in 2013 while leading Nigeria to victory.