Ahmed Musa, the captain of the Super Eagles, has returned home to play in the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, marking his second homecoming after a successful career with various clubs in Europe and Asia.
The Eagles captain grabbed a brace to give Kano Pillars a 2-0 win over Sunshine Stars in a matchday 5 fixture at the Muhammad Dikko Stadium on Sunday.
Speaking in a post-match interview on Sunday, Musa thanked the fans for their support
Musa scored 18 goals in 25 matches during his loan spell with Kano Pillars in 2009-2010, which became a record until Jude Aneke scored 20 goals for Kaduna United in 2011.
Musa began playing abroad in the Netherlands with VVV-Venlo. He then moved on to play for CSKA Moscow, Leicester City in England, and Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League in 2020.
During the 2021/2022 NPFL season, Musa returned to Kano Pillars, a club he was passionate about, and played in eight matches before returning to Europe again.
After returning to Europe, he played for Turkish Super League clubs Fatih Karagümrük and Sivasspor before ending their mutual ties in February 2024.
The most capped Super Eagle player reportedly made a splash as he scored a brace in his Pillars debut in the NPFL 2024/2025 season.
Speaking on the Super Eagles forward, a close friend to Ahmed and sports journalist, Muzamil Daha Yola said: “Super Eagles captain is a talented and dedicated player with tremendous work ethic and humility that always made him loved at every team he has played.
“This third stint is proof of his commitment to Nigeria football and willingness to give back. He just doesn’t want to hang up his boots yet. We know how he loves to encourage young players on the pitch. Even as a club legend and role model, he is always for teamwork.”
The Head of Communications for the NPFL, Harry Iwuala, has in a recent interview expressed excitement over the recent return of players after successful careers playing for foreign clubs.
“The NPFL is thrilled to welcome back Ahmed Musa and Shehu Abdullahi after their successful careers abroad. We’ve seen how elite South American players return home to their domestic leagues, and we want the same for Nigeria.
“We encourage former internationals to engage with their peers and promote the NPFL as a quality league. We know that fans are eager to come to the stadium to see these stars they’ve watched on TV,” he added.
Aminu a resident in Kano, has also affirmed that news of Ahmed Musa’s brace has sparked his interest in the league. “Their return is a significant boost for the league, similar to what the biggest names in Brazil did when retiring.
