Sunday Oliseh questions Ahmed Musa’s captaincy, urges leadership change in Nigeria

By Dayo Awoniyi

Former Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh has reignited debate over the leadership of Nigeria’s national football team, questioning the continued captaincy of Ahmed Musa, who has seen limited playing time in recent years.

Musa, Nigeria’s most-capped international and captain since John Mikel Obi’s retirement in 2019, has remained a fixture on the team sheet despite rarely featuring on the pitch.

Oliseh, a former Nigeria international and ex-Juventus midfielder, called the situation “an anomaly.”

“You can’t have your captain sitting on the bench,” Oliseh said.

“That started a trend that’s not right. Captains should be players who lead on the pitch, not from the sidelines.”

Musa has played a largely symbolic role in recent tournaments, including the 2021 and 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where William Troost-Ekong effectively led the team on the field. Musa did not make an appearance in most matches, yet retained the armband officially.

The 31-year-old forward was recalled by new head coach Eric Chelle for the Unity Cup friendlies in June, making a brief substitute appearance against Ghana.

However, his future involvement—and leadership status—remains uncertain ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September.

Chelle, who replaced Jose Peseiro earlier this year, may face mounting pressure to pass the armband to a more active member of the squad, especially if Musa continues to play a peripheral role.

Despite his reduced playing time, Musa’s legacy remains significant. He is Nigeria’s top scorer at the FIFA World Cup, with four goals, including braces in both the 2014 and 2018 tournaments.

Still, Oliseh’s remarks have sparked renewed calls for a reassessment of the team’s leadership structure.

With crucial qualifiers looming, the Super Eagles may soon be forced to make a defining decision on who leads them forward—symbolically and on the pitch.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

See Full Bio