Team captain Ahmed Musa has delivered an honest message ahead of Nigeria’s Unity Cup clash with Ghana, admitting that fans are disillusioned with the Super Eagles’ recent struggles, footynaija.com reports.
The three-times African champions are on the verge of missing out on qualifying for the World Cup for the second consecutive time.
The Super Eagles have also failed to win any of their last two gamesbon home soil, falling to a surprise loss to Rwanda in the AFCON qualifiers before being forced to a score draw by Zimbabwe in March.
“Yeah, we know that a lot of Nigerians are, I would say, very disappointed in the Super Eagles,” Musa told the Super Eagles media team in London.
“But I will always call on them to just keep on supporting us because that is what we need right now. Their support will make a very big impact for us.”
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Musa, 32, is making his return to the national team after a lengthy absence. Now playing for Kano Pillars in the Nigeria Premier Football League, the former Leicester City winger brings leadership and experience to a squad aiming to rebuild confidence following underwhelming performances in World Cup qualifiers.
“Yeah, for me, I’m always happy whenever I get a call-up,” he added. “So for me, I’m very happy to be back. It has been a long time but I don’t think there’s any difference. We just wait and see on the day of the game what is going to happen.”
The match at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium will also be a crucial first test for new head coach Eric Chelle.
Musa welcomed the inclusion of several domestic-based players, noting: “As you can see, a lot of home-based boys are in the team. I think the coach watched a lot of Nigeria Professional Football League games, so I feel very happy for them. Let’s see what can happen in the game.”