When the list of players for the senior national team of Nigeria AFCON 2021 Qualifiers game against Sierra Leone was made public last week, the duo of Ahmed Musa and Shehu Abdullahi made the list despite not enjoying a stellar time with their respective clubs.
While Shehu Abdullahi is having a fine season in Turkey for Bursaspor, the fact that they are playing in the second division in a country where even the first division is not highly rated has made many question his invitation for the game.
Abdullahi to start with has the trust of coach Gernot Rohr base on his commitment and versatility on the pitch. The 27 year old can play on either side as a full back or in his traditional role as a defensive midfielder.
Beyond that he is seen as a senior member of the squad and his experience will come handy and hopefully will provide a back up option to Wilfred Ndidi who for now is the only defensive midfielder in the team.
Musa’s role as the captain means his spot is guarantee despite his not too good form for Saudi Arabia side Al-Nassr where injury and poor form has cost him his spot in the starting lineup. So far he has failed to score in 16 games in the league this season although he has four assists to his name.
Despite his poor form Rohr views him as one player who is valuable to the squad for his ability not just on the pitch but also off the pitch where he is seen as a vocal presence in the dressing room and also a source of unification in camp among the players.
Although Rohr is keen on the 27 year old returning back to Europe, he still won’t ditch him at least for now as his experience is still valuable to the team as they go in search of wins that will see them qualify for the AFCON 2021 and World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
