Ahmed Musa would not be in action when Nigeria take on Sao Tome and Principe in the final AFCON qualifier at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo Akwa-Ibom.

Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa has seen his popularity and influence in the national team dwindle over the last few years.

Although no one can fault Musa’s contributions to the national side over the last decade, it seems the time has finally come for him to say his goodbyes.

Ahmed Musa has already achieved a lot with the Super Eagles. He was part of late coach Stephen Keshi’s team that won the AFCON in 2013.

Not only that, he has joined an elite list of players like Joseph Yobo and Vincent Enyeama in reaching a century of caps for the Super Eagles – the icing on the cake is that he is the record holder for the most appearance in a Super Eagles shirt having amassed 109 caps till date.

To win his 109th cap, 30-year-old Ahmed Musa was introduced as a 93rd-minute substitute when Nigeria played Guinea Bissau in March. He barely kicked a ball before the referee blew the final whistle.

The ex-CSK Moscow forward, who was once a darling of fans of the Super Eagles, scored two glorious goals against Argentina at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and bagged a brace against Iceland at the 2018 World Cup.

However, he has since fallen out of favour with Nigerian soccer fans who vehemently protested against his call-up during Nigeria’s last AFCON qualifier against Sierra Leone.

That being said, let’s delve into possible reasons why Ahmed Musa was excluded from the Super Eagles squad to battle Sao Tome and Principe this weekend.