TheCable

Ahmed Musa scored a double against Argentina to become the first Nigeria player to bag a brace in a World Cup match, and the CSKA Moscow forward has come out to reveal that his mates and coaches told him before the match that he would score.

Musa, who scored Nigeria’s fastest-ever goal at a World Cup, on four minutes, was beaming with smiles after the game.

“I am going to give credit to my teammates and my coaches because before the game, they told me I was going to score, and they gave me the support to do that today. So, I am going to say thank you to them for believing in me,” he told reporters in Brazil.

The world could have been introduced to Musa in the 2010 World Cup, after Lars Lagerback called him up to the 30-man squad for South Africa, but an unfortunate ankle injury ruled him out. The former Kano Pillars forward is thus grateful for this moment and a good World Cup performance can send the scouts circling like vultures.

“I feel very happy today because it has been long we scored against Argentina. Going into the game today, we spoke to ourselves that we were going to win the game, but at the end of the day we lost,” he said.

“But I feel very happy because it has been long we qualified to the second round in the World Cup. Thank God, today we made it.”

The Super Eagles play France in the next round, and Musa knows the team has to improve ahead of the clash with 1998 World Cup hosts and winners.

“These days, football is changing. Nobody can say. I think they have a very good team. And we also have a good team as well,” he said.

“We just have to go back to work. The mistake we made today, we’ll work on and improve on them before going to the second round game against France.”