Sports
Musa Happy With Contributions To S’Eagles
The CSK Moscow player,
Ahmed Musa, 21, lost words in describing how happy he was at contributing two goals in Super Eagles 2-3 loss to Argentina in the ongoing World Cup in Brazil.
The loss still took the African champions to the Round of 16 of the tournament.
Musa, Born on October 14, 1992 in the Plateau capital, Jos, expressed his joy at a post match news conference at the end of the last Group F game, at the Estadio Beira-Rio, in Porto Alegre.
Responding simply to a comment that as the most criticised player in Nigeria, what his feelings were realising that his contribution had stood him out, he said: “I am happy I have proved my critics wrong”.
Part of the criticisms was that Musa in many cases would always out run his opponents only to fail to create chances or fail to properly utilise chances created for him to score goals.
But on a day that mattered most, against Argentina in order to qualify for the Round of 16, Musa rose to the occasion for the first time.
He slotted two vital goals that set the country toward almost breaking the jinx of getting past Argentina in a World Cup.
His equalising goal in the fourth minute after Lionel Messi scored in the third minute forced Argentina to temporarily slow down their attack.
“It was a win-win situation for both Argentina and Nigeria,’’ whipped Duro Ikhaziagbe, a Lagos-based journalist who is in Brazil to cover the World Cup as players and fans of both countries ended up back slapping each other.
“This is the third time Musa will make the Eagles’ squad against Argentina, two of which were in friendly games.
“On two of the previous games, he failed to lift, but had reserved the best for the last — in a World Cup situation — with the crucial goals that helped the Eagles to make the round of 16’’.
Another, Nigerian journalist, Munini Alao, the General Manager of Complete Sports also in Brazil to cover the Mundial, used the occasion to acknowledge the sterling contributions of the player.
Alao apologised to the player and Nigerians that he had once been one of the critics of Musa.
“Accept my apologies,’’ Alao said, a rare gesture from a journalist.
“The Argentines have always beaten us at the FIFA World Cup, though narrowly each time.
“We also need to show our true strength as the champions of Africa,” Aminu Maigari, President of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) had told the players before the match.
Nigeria met Argentina first at USA ’94 World Cup, losing 1-2 in Boston on June 25, 1994, and was again pipped 1-0 courtesy of a Gabriel Batistuta goal in Ibaraki, Japan on June 2, 2002.
When both sides met in South Africa four years ago, an early goal by Gabriel Heinze condemned the Eagles to a 1-0 defeat.
However, at the Olympic Games, the story was not the same, in Atlanta ’96 in the U.S., Nigeria beat them to the gold medal — a victory that left the Argentines flustered for many years.
Argentina U-23 team to the 2008 Olympic Games in China had evened-up the Olympic record with 1-0 victory over Nigeria at the final.
However, it is sweet to recall fond memories of the 4-1 defeat the Eagles handed down to Argentina in a friendly in Abuja on June 1, 2011.
But importantly, the 3-2 defeat by the U-23 team that gave Africa the first Olympic football gold in Atlanta, 18 years ago.
However, in the match in Porto Alegre, the Argentines were more or less “playing having entered Brazil, its neighbours.
The Argentines fans had occupied every available space and virtually drowning the voices of a pockets of Nigerian fans that managed to traverse almost 10 hours across the Atlantic Ocean, to be part of their national team’s outing at the quadrennial soccer extravaganza.
Musa deserved his pay. Indeed, he earned it through hard work., utilising his chance off a pass by the now injured, Michael Babatunde to send a solid strike that stretched the Argentine goalkeeper who dived full length but failed to stop the goal from going past him.
The player, who is 1.70 metres tall and currently weighs 62 kg, began his football career in 2008 and now plays a striking role in PFC CSKA Moscow.
However, it was Musa, Emmanuel Emenike and Peter Odemwingie playing up were instrumental to the Eagles’
Gialuigui Donnarumma (Italy and Man City)
One of the greatest strikers of the past 15 years, Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, is among the big names who will not be playing at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The 37-year-old Barcelona striker, who has scored 89 goals for his country, was not able to inspire his side as they lost 3-2 in Stockholm against Sweden in Tuesday’s play-off final.
Lewandowski, who won the German Bundesliga title on 10 occasions, twice with Borussia Dortmund and then in eight successive seasons with Bayern Munich, before winning La Liga twice with Barca, may have played in his last major international tournament.
Lewandowski captained Poland at the World Cup in 2018, but did not score in Russia as his country came bottom of the group. He had a better tournament four years later in Qatar, scoring twice as Poland reached the last 16 before losing to France.
He netted four times in Group G in 2026 qualifying only for Poland to finish three points behind the Netherlands, before losing to Sweden on Tuesday.
Gialuigui Donnarumma (Italy and Man City)
Another star that will be missing in action at the mundial is Gialuigui Donnarumma of Italy.
Italy lost in the World Cup play-offs for a third successive qualifying tournament
Gianluigi Donnarumma has been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League this season since he moved from Paris St-Germain for £26m in September, after helping the French club win the Champions League last season.
Despite being player of the tournament as Italy won the 2020 European Championship, he misses out on a World Cup again after Italy lost 4-1 on penalties to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday.
Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund and Guinea)
Serhou Guirassy is Fourth in the list of Bundesliga top scorers this season
Serhou Guirassy has established himself as one of most prolific strikers playing in Europe, with 62 goals in the German Bundesliga over the past three seasons, while no player scored more than his 13 goals in the Champions League in 2024-25.
But he will not be at the World Cup as his country Guinea went out in the first round of African qualifying, finishing fourth in their group, with only four wins and three draws from their 10 matches.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia and PSG)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia helped Paris St-Germain become European champions last season, scoring in the 5-0 final win over Inter Milan, and he came 12th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards.
But Georgia had a miserable campaign in World Cup qualifying as they only picked up three points from a group that contained Spain, Turkey and Bulgaria.
Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray and Nigeria)
Victor Osimhen has scored 26 goals for club and country this season
Victor Osimhen helped Napoli win Serie A in 2023 before moving to Galatasaray, where he grabbed 26 goals in 30 games to take them to the Turkish title last season.
Nigeria drew five of their 10 matches in the first group phase as they finished one point behind winners South Africa, but then had a second chance in the following play-off.
With Osimhen already substituted, Nigeria lost on penalties to DR Congo to miss out on the World Cup.
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool and Hungary)
Dominik Szoboszlai has scored 12 goals for Liverpool this season
Liverpool and Hungary midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has impressed this season and scored some stunning long-range goals.
But he will not be at the World Cup after his country let a 2-1 lead slip in their final group game with the Republic of Ireland scoring twice in injury time to clinch a spot in the play-offs and eliminate Hungary.
Female wrestlers in action at Governor Diri Wrestling Classics.
Ondo State wrestlers dominated the women’s events on Day six of the fourth Governor Douye Diri Wrestling Classics in Yenagoa on Monday, claiming gold medals in two of the four women’s freestyle categories.
African champion Khadijat Idris of Ondo State led the charge in the 55kg division, defeating rising talent Mary Ayeloh of Bayelsa State by technical superiority to claim gold. Happiness Soso of Delta State and Augustine Rhoda of Lagos State took bronze medals in the category.
Damola Ojo also flew the Ondo flag proudly in the 76kg event, retaining her title after defeating all opponents in a round-robin format. Nigeria Army wrestler Laide Ojo settled for silver, while Juliet Ogo of Bayelsa State and Mercy Alison of Abia State each claimed bronze.
In the 62kg category, Patience Kakanda of Bayelsa State produced the upset of the day, defeating Nigeria Army’s Precious Tieberi 3-1 in the final to be crowned the new champion. Isioma Abojei of Delta State and Blessing Apah of Dynamite Club won bronze medals.
Rivers State’s Esther Asaolu also retained her title in the 59kg division, overcoming all her opponents in the round-robin format, with Patience Opuene of Bayelsa State finishing as runner-up.
In the men’s events, Solomon Ulabo of Bayelsa State claimed gold in the 79kg category, with Kpum Ayibasisei of Edo State taking silver and Rasheed Saliu of Ondo State and Ebisindei Okorie of Dynamite Club winning bronze. NewLife Ebikeme of Bayelsa State won the 92kg gold, ahead of Perezidei Obaze of Edo State in silver position, while Tobechukwu Udeh of the Nigeria Army and Timilehin Adekanmi of Ondo State claimed bronze medals.