Age
33 yrs
Height
1.71m
Value
Free
Caps / Goals
111 / 16
Who is Ahmed
Ahmed Musa is Nigeria's most-capped men's footballer, 111 appearances for the Super Eagles before announcing his international retirement on 17 December 2025. He won AFCON 2013, scored braces at the 2014 (vs Argentina) and 2018 (vs Iceland) World Cups, and won two Russian Premier League titles at CSKA Moscow. At 33 he is back at Kano Pillars, the NPFL side that discovered him.
Tactical DNA
Musa's game has always been built on one weapon: raw pace down the left flank as an inverted right-footer, cutting inside to shoot or stretching defences on the overlap. In his peak years at CSKA Moscow and at the 2014 World Cup, his first five metres of acceleration was genuinely elite, the metric that separated him from the rest of that Super Eagles generation.
The 2026 version is a different player. At Kano Pillars he operates as a roaming No. 10 behind the striker, conserving the sprints for the last 25 minutes when tired NPFL defenders cannot track his diagonals anymore. The Pillars coaching staff use him on the flank when opponents play a narrow 4-4-2, where there's space in behind the full-back, and centrally against three-at-the-back systems.
Career Journey
Scored a goal every other game from the left flank as an NPFL teenager. 18 goals earned him the breakthrough move to Europe via a Dutch agent network.
Dutch Eredivisie education. Broke into the first team as a teenager and used the league as the bridge from NPFL to top-five-league football.
Won two Russian Premier League titles (2012–13, 2013–14) and a Russian Cup. Regular Champions League appearances. Peak European years.
Signed for a then-Nigerian-record fee the summer after Leicester's shock Premier League title. Featured in the Foxes' first Champions League run to the quarter-finals, but struggled for consistent Premier League minutes.
Returned to Moscow on loan for the second half of 2017–18 to regain form ahead of the 2018 World Cup, where he scored Nigeria's brace vs Iceland.
Won the Saudi Professional League in 2018–19, his first senior league title outside Russia. Led the line as the club's designated overseas star before the Saudi pro-era that came later.
Short return to the NPFL side that launched him before heading back to Europe for a Turkish chapter.
Istanbul chapter. Featured regularly in the Süper Lig and renewed European exposure after a quieter 2020.
Two-year run with the Anatolian side. Captained the side in Europa Conference League fixtures and mentored a much younger dressing room, the template for his current Kano Pillars role.
Homecoming to the club where he was discovered. Joined in a player-mentor role; helping Pillars' NPFL title push while bringing the Super Eagles halo back to Nigerian club football.
Honours
AFCON Winner
Nigeria, 2013 (South Africa)
AFCON Runner-up
2023 (Côte d'Ivoire 2–1 Nigeria)
Russian Premier League Champion
CSKA Moscow, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16
Russian Cup Winner
CSKA Moscow, 2012–13
Saudi Professional League Champion
Al-Nassr, 2018–19
Nigeria's all-time top scorer at World Cups
4 goals across 2014 (vs Argentina, brace) and 2018 (vs Iceland, brace)
Super Eagles captain
2018–2024
With Nigeria (Super Eagles)
Beyond the Pitch
Born 14 October 1992 in Jos, Plateau State, the central Nigerian city he still returns to in the off-season to run a youth football camp.
Devout Muslim; observed Ramadan through full training cycles at CSKA Moscow and Leicester, a topic he has spoken about publicly to encourage young players on how to manage fasting alongside elite performance. Quiet off-pitch lifestyle; rarely in tabloid headlines beyond football.
Expert Analysis
Ahmed Q&A
How old is Ahmed Musa?
Which club does Ahmed Musa play for?
How many World Cup goals has Ahmed Musa scored?
Is Ahmed Musa the Nigeria captain?
How many caps does Ahmed Musa have for Nigeria?
Why did Ahmed Musa return to Kano Pillars?
How tall is Ahmed Musa?
Did Ahmed Musa win the AFCON?
Has Ahmed Musa retired from international football?
Is Ahmed Musa still playing club football?
Related
Last updated 2026-04-21 · written by Amara Okafor. · Reviewed by Ọmọlàgbà Olúwáyẹmí