Following the Squad announcement of the CHAN Eagles squad for next month’s African Nations Championship qualifiers against Ghana, Ahmed Musa’s omission from the list has drawn scrutiny.
Despite playing in the NPFL with Kano Pillars, Musa was left out of the roster for the upcoming matches.
Ahmed Musa joined Kano Pillars in October and has already made an impact, scoring two goals in matches four matches.
His performance and experienced would have counted for the CHAN Eagles, most have argued, but he’d Coach Austin Eguavoen named. 25-man squad without the 2013 AFCON winner.
Why Musa Isn’t Eligible
Rangers vs Kano Pillars. Photo | C
The regulations governing player eligibility for the African Nations Championship, CHAN appear to disqualify Ahmed Musa from representing Nigeria in this competition.
CHAN is designed for players who are citizens of their country and play in that country’s domestic league. While Musa meets both these criteria, a specific regulation might have ruled him out.
According to Article 38 in Chapter 16 of the African Nations Championship regulations, only players with permanent contracts registered in a local club affiliated with their national association are eligible to participate.
The argument is that Musa’s short-term contract with Kano Pillars rules against the player.
Coach Eguavoen’s Take on the Squad Selection
Despite some disappointment from fans, Nigeria’s interim coach, Austin Eguavoen has confidence in his squad selections.
CHAN Qualifiers: A training session of the CHAN Eagles.
Addressing the public, he explained the careful thought and scouting that went into forming the team.
“I visit league venues a lot, and we have coaches like Fidelis Ilechukwu and Daniel Ogunmodede who have seen many players,” Eguavoen said.
“If you compare the list that I had with the ones they gave me, most of the players are on the same list. So, about recommendations? No, that’s not it.”
Nigeria will face Ghana in a two-legged fixture, with the first leg taking place in Ghana between December 20 and 22 and the return leg in Nigeria from December 27 to 29.
