Unfazed by Super Eagles backlash, Ahmed Musa sends ‘Love me or hate me’ message to critics

Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, has delivered a resounding response to his detractors, confidently asserting that they will someday recount tales of his greatness to their own children, Soccernet.ng reports.

Musa, who holds the distinction of being Nigeria's most-capped footballer in history, found himself caught in a storm of criticism after Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro, announced the 23-man squad for the AFCON qualifier showdown against Sierra Leone in Monrovia.

Peseiro's decision to include the former Leicester City star in the squad, ahead of fan favourites such as Belgium-based Gift Orban and Victor Boniface, sparked a wave of disparaging remarks from naysayers on Twitter who clamoured for Musa's exclusion from the lineup.

However, undeterred by the chorus of dissenting voices, Musa took to his Instagram account on Saturday to directly address his critics.

As the highest goalscorer for the Super Eagles in World Cup history, Musa boldly declared, “Like me or hate me, a day will come when you will tell your kids a story about Ahmed Musa MON.”

Musa aims to help Nigeria qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. 

Sitting comfortably atop their qualification group with nine points from four matches, the Super Eagles are on the verge of securing qualification for the tournament in Ivory Coast.

A win over Sierra Leone on matchday five will do the trick.

In the reverse fixture in Abuja, the Eagles emerged triumphant with a 2-1 comeback win, courtesy of goals from Alex Iwobi and Victor Osimhen.

Looking ahead, the Super Eagles will face Sao Tome and Principe, who currently languish at the bottom of the table with a meager single point, on the final day of the series in September.

However, all eyes are eagerly fixed on the highly anticipated clash between Nigeria and Sierra Leone, set to take place at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Monrovia on Sunday, June 18.