Kano Pillars returnee and in-form attacker, Ahmed Musa has taken time out to reflect on the early days of his career and confessed that it was pretty tough for him to settle down in football at the beginning, Sports247 reports.
Musa, who is still widely regarded as captain of the Nigerian national team, Super Eagles, though he has not been invited for their last four matches, has already netted five goals in his first ten matches back at Kano Pillars, the same club with which he burst into limelight in 2010.
READ ALSO: Leicester Boss Ruud van Nistelrooy Provides Update on Wilfred Ndidi’s Recovery Ahead of FA Cup Clash
He has been appointed as substantive captain of the City of Pyramids Club, in recognition of his return to roost after previously playing abroad with VV Venlo of Holland, CSKA Moscow of Russia, Leicester City of England, Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia as well as Faith Karagumruk and Sivaspor of Turkey.
As he enjoys a sweet home coming back in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), where he twinkled with Pillars while on loan from GBS Football Academy of Jos, Musa admitted that his long road to stardom has been rough and tough.
The fleet-footed winger confessed, “I never believed I am going to be where I am today. Alhamdullah, thanks to Almighty Allah. I started my career with Aminchi Football Academy, but it has not been easy getting to where I am today.
“When I was growing up, it was a little bit difficult for the family. My dad was late when I was a little boy, and my mum had to go through a lot. It was not that easy.
Sometimes, before we can eat, she had to go to a party and take some food, then bring it home so that we can have something to eat.”
Ironically, while recounting that his father and older brother both played football to a certain extent, Musa recalled that he did not get their support for him to follow the same line, as they wanted him to become educated instead.
Musa, who was also first loaned by GBS Acedemy to Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) FC from 2008-2009, admitted that he had to sneak out to play on the streets, but added that he braved all odds until his breakthrough eventually came.
He recalled, “My father, before he became late, was a football player. He played football for some years and my elder brother also played football. But, when I started football, I had to hide. At that time, when you say you are playing football, everybody will think you are doing nothing.
Unlike nowadays that football is one of the biggest businesses in the world. Everybody now wants to play football, but that’s not how it was when we started. Back then, you had to hide to play on the streets, and you would not tell your parents that you wanted to play football, because they just wanted you to go to school. That’s why it was not easy for me when I started playing football.”
Musa, who is still Nigeria’s most capped international player ever and overall FIFA World Cup top scorer, having netted two goals each at Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018, then reflected on his early days in the domestic league with JUTH FC, where he also passed thtough a tough path before finally getting his breakthrough.
“As a young player, I did not have enough experience of playing in the league, and that made it difficult for me in my first season. I didn’t play any match until the second half of the season, and that was only after the coach was sacked.
They said I was too small, but it was Coach Tony, may his soul rest in peace, that saw me and gave me the chance to play. He was the second team coach, but was then promoted to the first team.
I remember how everything then changed for me in a game against Heartland. I scored in that match, but the ref said it was offside. We finished the game zero-zero but I played well and, since then, that was how I picked up,” Musa narrated.
While relishing his return to Sai Masu Gida in the north of Nigeria, Musa noted how God so arranged it that his major advent into big-time football limelight again started in a match against Heartland – the same team versus which he had his first feel of top-flight league action while with JUTH of Jos.
“I soon moved to Kano Pillars, and it was easier for me to settle down this time. Although they could not register me to play in the Champions League, and I missed their semi-final matches versus Heartland, it was the same Heartland that I later first played against for Kano Pillars.
“They beat us 4-0 in the first leg in Owerri and still beat us 1-0 in Kano, but the result was different when I played against them in the league, as I scored two goals in that match.
I also scored against Ranchers Bees in our next game, and it continued like that throughout the season. That was how everything changed for me in football, and I am where I am today,” concluded Musa, who also played at the 2011 FIFA U20 World Cup in Colombia
