Nigeria forward Ahmed Musa
Nigeria forward Ahmed Musa has been excluded from the team to face Ghana in the Africa Nations Championship qualifiers due to eligibility reasons.
The veteran forward returned home to rejoin Nigerian Professional Football League side Kano Pillars on a short-term deal after years of playing abroad.
He was expected to be included in the team for the qualifiers of the tournament, which is meant for players playing in their domestic leagues and on the continent.
However, interim coach Austin Eguavoen released his team without the former Leicester City striker, raising questions over his unavailability.
Musa could not make the list due to CAF’s eligibility rules for the African Nations Championship, as cited in Article 38 16 of the regulations.
According to Article 38.2: “Only players with a permanent contract registered by a local club affiliated to their national association are eligible to participate in the African Nations Championship.”
This means Musa’s short-term deal with Kano Pillars disqualifies him from participating in the qualifiers next month.
Meanwhile, Nigeria, led by Eguavoen, have opened camp as preparations begin for the two-legged game in December.
Ghana beat Nigeria to qualify for the last edition of the competition in Algeria last year and will be hoping to make a return to the tournament in 2025.