Former Super Eagles winger Emmanuel Amuneke is not comfortable with Ahmed Musa’s invitation for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Benin and Lesotho.
Musa was named in the 24-man squad for both games by Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr on Tuesday.
His selection has generated controversy as he has been without a club since last October.
“Professionally and morally, Ahmed Musa should not be on the list because he is not engaged in a competitive league,” Amuneke declared.
Read Also: Esin Backs Musa’s Super Eagles Invitation For AFCON Qualifiers
“He should not have been invited.
“He has given so much to the country and was probably brought in to motivate the younger players in the team.
“It’s for the coach to give reasons why he invited this player.”
The Super Eagles will face Benin at the Stade Charles de Gaulle , Porto Novo on Saturday, March 27 and later host Lesotho at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos on Tuesday, March 30 in their final two games in the qualifiers.
20 Comments
na politices bro
Rohr is beginning to enter Nigerian politics and etting primed to poison the Super Eagles with tribalism. There is no reason for Ahmed Musa showing his face in the camp for a crucial match like this. He has not been in form for over 2 years and was playing in Saudi Arabia which must be ranked with Cyprus. Worse still Musa is without a club urrently and has not played competitive soccer for 6 months. I do not see any rationale for inviting him. Nigerians must not be intimidated by the high handedness of this German.
I remembered few weeks ago when the super falcon went to play four nations competition in Turkey. Desire Oparanozie was not invited and it viral.. NFF gave reason that she has not bn into competitive games for long
Now same situation in super eagle and Ahmed Musa who has not even play a local games since last October has bn invited to super eagle to do what?
This NFF sports politics will affect the team..Paul onuachu and Henry onyekuru plays week to week in their various club’s.. We re watching both NFF and Rohr
Nigeria will never achieve excellence in team sports if selections are not performace-based.
If Emma Amuneke really said this, then he can’t be serious. When you work in any public-facing role in Nigeria, competence and merit should be the major drivers of decision-making, but are usually not the only drivers. There are competing interests you have to negotiate with if you want to be left alone to do your job.
It is all well and good, for journalists and fans to spout off on editorial columns and online, but it is completely different for an Amuneke who has played and coached in Nigeria to engage in this kind of moral grandstanding.
He knows, that in this role you choose the hill you want to die on and that you don’t fight every battle. What Rohr did was either to enhance team chemistry, or just to throw a bone to the competing “interests” on a list of 24 for a nations cup qualifier by the way, so that he can do his work with the other 23 players called up.
To be clear, I will be the first in line to lambast Rohr if he does this with the team list for the main tournament, but for qualifiers, I’m ready to cut the man some slack abeg. And Amuneke should know better.
Oga na wetin you smoke before you came online, because i don’t get your right. So how competent has he been in the last 6 months. And moreso what merit are you talking about, if thats the case there are many nigerian players that need to recalled back to the national team
Same politics is what trickles down to our various tiers of government,where square pegs are been put in a round hole.
Quota system in everything we do must be applied,even if it means bringing in a player with one leg provided he represents a particular geopolitical zone it is acceptable not minding the collective goals such project is meant to achieve.
Nigeria I hail thee
Mr amuneke u suppose to be more smart because someone like u can’t just grant the media some opportunities like this,u know u are into this business and u come out to criticise others for your information musa deserve the call.
people who live in glass houses must not throw stones…….its unfortunate most of our ex internationals do not know how to contribute to public nd delicate issues……they are people who command respect nd before they release any statement,they should first consider the inherent risk of losing their hard earned respects…they should talk less to the public nd when they MUST talk they apply decorum……..i can not remember the last time DAVID BECKAM,ALLAN SHEARER,LAMPARD,GATTUSO,HENRY THIERRY,VINCENT KOMPANY,KOEMAN ETC. talked directly against the decisions of their national team coaches…..because they know that public issues like team selections are delicate nd capable of making them to squander whatever respects they weird…..Kanu Nwakwo,Jay Jay Okocha are two of our ex internationals who understand how to contribute to public issues….they give the players moral support through due visitations at training camps nd match venues,they give fair,unbias nd constructive assessments of the team
Probably because there respective national team coaches won’t do this shit.We should be objective with our reasoning, musa gat to business in that squad for this particular games. Period
But how would some people expect musa not to be invited for a very, very important match and experience???? It’s crazy and absurd not to do so. Even if he doesn’t have a club at the moment, his wealth of experience which can never be bought with money comes into play. Mr Amuneke, we know u savour a time with the eagles as a coach even though u pretend not to but I think it’ll be wise to just sit tight and wait for your time instead of going around the media and making another person look as if he doesn’t know his job. As an ex international, you should know that experience really counts in such critical situations. A musa with his wealth of experience is better than an onuachu any day, any time.
Am currently watching Enyimba match now am fuming in anger how on earth certain iwula anayo and Austin oladapo is not in SE list …iwula plays more mature football that moses Simon. Mr Rohr ur doom is coming soon. .
@D-Cardinal… some people who have never played football will never see anything good in any homebased player. Some of them if selected purely on merit will do better than some regulars in Super Eagles at the moment. There lots in the league like the ones you just mentioned.
Exactly bro
Dcardinal my brother no be lie, na the first time I dey watch the guy,the dude na baller no be lie
But they were there all along they could not even qualify for caf Champion league 3 consecutive time mind u dont forget chan too
Dosu has said Rohr is a mechanic, is the man earning his pay? What’s he doing that our ex player can’t do even better? We are watching.
@femi…..who needs a JOSEPH YOBO when there is an AHMED MUSA in the team…..regardless of number of times that musa has played for nigeria,his record nd influence supercedes that of YOBO anytime anyday……around the team nd a good man manager like GERNOT ROHR would not leave a player in the rank of musa who has delivered for him nd the country when chips were down forsaken…….musa deservedly needs nigeria now nd we must not turn our back on him
Rubbish, what role was Yobo playing in the national team. Was he a striker like Musa
All of you who are critisising rohs musa invitition who is your player ever who performed better than Ahmad musa’s??? performance in super eagle ???? let’s the game began.