‘None succeeded’ – Segun Odegbami warns Ahmed Musa against NPFL return

Football Icon, Segun Odegbami has warned Super Eagles star Ahmed Musa against making a risky return to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) in a bid to secure a place in the national team for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

Musa, who has been absent from the Super Eagles lineup for some time, last featured for the team during the 2023 AFCON tournament. Despite being Nigeria’s all-time most-capped player and the country’s top scorer in World Cup history, the 31-year-old forward was left out of Nigeria’s recent AFCON qualification campaign in Côte d’Ivoire. His declining involvement with the national team has raised questions about his future, even though he remains a key figure in Nigerian football.

In a recent interview, Odegbami, a former Super Eagles great and Nigerian football icon, expressed his concerns over Musa’s decision to return to the NPFL. “I also wore the number 7 jersey and share some traits with Ahmed Musa,” Odegbami told Complete Sports. “Like me, he scored many goals from the wings, including four during two World Cups—the highest by a Nigerian in World Cup history.”

Odegbami praised Musa’s impressive career, which includes stints in top European and Middle Eastern leagues, as well as his two national honours—Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) and Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON). However, the former Super Eagles captain expressed skepticism about Musa’s decision to rejoin Kano Pillars FC in the NPFL as a way to boost his chances of a national team recall.

Musa briefly played for Kano Pillars in 2021 before moving to Turkey, but he is now set to return to the NPFL, where he hopes to regain his form and fitness. Despite this bold decision, Odegbami believes Musa is taking a considerable risk by choosing this path.

“It is in the news now that, six months after departing the national team and not securing a contract abroad, Musa will be rejoining his former team, Kano Pillars FC, this season,” Odegbami stated. “He intends to leverage on that ‘project’ to play his way back into the Super Eagles for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.”

Odegbami also pointed out that Musa’s decision to return to the NPFL is uncommon among Nigerian footballers. “Most before him did not take that path. Few players in Nigeria’s football history have returned to the NPFL to end their careers, and probably none succeeded in leaving a mark,” Odegbami explained.

While acknowledging Musa’s determination and ambition, Odegbami wished him well but remained cautious about the potential outcome. “This is also wishing him the very best of luck in this ambitious new adventure,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Musa has not officially confirmed his choice of club in the NPFL. The former Leicester man had last week asked fans to pick from the 20-clubs for him to make another return to the Nigerian football scene.