Why Rohr shouldn't invite clubless Musa

The photo used to illustrate the story via Soccernet.ng

Former Nigerian international Ike Shorunmu has charged head coach Gernot Rohr to resist the urge to invite club-less Ahmed Musa to the Super Eagles camp ahead of the team’s preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Benin Republic and Lesotho in March.

Musa is the Super Eagles captain and the national team’s current longest-serving player, having made his international debut 11 years ago, amassing 87 caps and scoring 15 goals since.

But the 28-year-old former Kano Pillars forward has been without a club since leaving Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr last October.

Despite that setback, he was still a part of the Super Eagles squad that took on Algeria and Tunisia in friendly games in October and the two matches against Sierra Leone in the following month.

Musa was close to joining West Brom during the January transfer window. Still, after undergoing a successful trial, the Premier League side pulled the plug on the deal citing financial constraints.

The ex-Leicester City man has failed to secure a move to any other club since that debacle, even as a free agent, raising questions on his fitness and readiness for crucial international matches.

And former Super Eagles goalkeeper Shorunmu has pointed out to Rohr that it would not help this national team’s cause to invite a player not presently at his best.

“It is left for the coach to invite whoever he feels he needs into the team,” Shorunmu told the Punch.

“I, however, don’t think it is the best thing to invite someone who has not been playing for about five months to the national team. You don’t expect such a player to be in top form and shape.”

The Nigeria Football Federation have confirmed the dates and kickoff times for the national team’s final 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The Super Eagles matchday five-fixture will hold in the capital of the Republic of Benin, Porto-Novo, on Saturday, March 27, with kickoff slated for 5 pm.

Nigeria’s final fixture will take place on Tuesday, March 30, in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, with a kickoff time of 5 pm.