Musa: Pillar behind Kano Pillars
The clinical precession with which this teenager buries balls in the opponents’ nets has seen him scoring 15 goals for his club, Kano Pillars in the ongoing football season. Musa remains the only player in the history of Nigerian football to have scored amazing goals in just a season in the elite league at the […]
The clinical precession with which this teenager buries balls in the opponents’ nets has seen him scoring 15 goals for his club, Kano Pillars in the ongoing football season.
Musa remains the only player in the history of Nigerian football to have scored amazing goals in just a season in the elite league at the age of just 17. Even the Rashidi Yekinis, Samson Siasias, Austine Okockas, Kanu Nwankwos, Segun Odegbamis and a host of other Nigerian football super stars could not achieve what Musa has achieved at such a very tender age.
When the Kano-based football outfit dipped hands in their pocket and priced away the Jos-born football prodigy from JUTH FC in 2009, the club management did not know that they were buying a player that would form a strong pillar for the club’s excellent run in the ongoing season.
Against all expectations, Musa has single-handedly scored about 30 percent of the total goals scored by Kano Pillars so far. He has 15 goals to his credit, while his colleagues have jointly added 27 goals, making Kano Pillars the highest goals scoring side in this season.
He scored twice against heartland, Ocean Boys and Sharks, while he scored a goal each against Ranch Bees, Niger Tornadoes, Gateway, Enyimba, Wikki, Sunshine Stars, Lobi Stars, Kwara and Rangers.
Born some 17 years ago in Jos, Plateau State, Musa’s desire for football was unquestionable, as he was always found of kicking any round object that came his way. As he was doing all these, the secreted talent in him was not unnoticed by football loving persons who lived around where he grew up.
The desire to kick any available round object and the burning desire to explore his talent in football prevented him from giving serious attention to making a career in education.
While some of his childhood friends were burning with different ambitions of becoming medical doctors, lawyers, journalists, bankers and so on, Musa’s focus was on the round leather game.
His road to professional club career was brightened when he decided to go to a Jos-based football academy, Aminchi Football Academy, where the rough edges of the budding football star was smoothened. At the academy, he was taught the ABC of football.
He stayed in the academy between 2005 and 2008, scoring a good number of goals and establishing himself as one of the best players in the academy.
Like the proverbial big fish in a small pond, the academy became too small for Musa to continue his career. Hence, he left for a Jos-based Division one club side, JUTH FC.
Having courted the player for some years, JUTH’s management wasted no time in signing Musa in 2009. He played 18 matches and scored 4 goals, not a bad campaign for a barely 16-year old boy.
Just as Aminchi Academy was too small for the teenager to operate, so was JUTH FC. So, when the transfer window for the 2009-2010 Globacom Premier League commenced, Kano Pillars decided to give their striking force a shot in the arm by bringing Ahmed to Kano.
Just in one season in the Nigeria elite football league, Ahmed has endeared himself to the followers of the league with some scintillating football display. Not only is he the current highest goal scorer in the league, his exploit so far has earned him a call up to the Super Eagles, both team A and team B.
Albeit, the powerful player could not make it to the Lagerback 30-man list, he was instrumental to the success of the Super Eagles team B, which lifted WAFU Nations Cup trophy in Abeokuta few weeks ago.
The Kano Pillars star scored his first international goal in a 5-0 routing of Guinea in the on-going WAFU Nations Cup. And Coach Daniel Amokachi was full of praises for the promising star.
It was almost considered foolhardy, when at the beginning of the ongoing football season the Pillars’ scoring sensation set a target of 20 goals for himself. But, with about six matches to go in the current campaign (at the time of writing this article), meeting the target may not be impossible.
Ahmed’s target, if met, will rewrite the history of the Nigerian football league. Since 1972 when the league started, no player has been able to score more than 17 goals in a season. The only two payers who have succeeded in harvesting 17 goals in the 38-year old league include Isaya Jatau and Orok Akarandut in 1990 and 2009 leagues seasons respectively.
If not for the injury he suffered while on duty for Nigeria in the WAFU Nations Cup, which prevented him from playing for weeks, the sharp-shooting player would have added to his goal tally.
“I have so far scored 15 goals and believe I can go on to score five more goals and set a new record of 20 goals a season,” Ahmed said.
While not disagreeing with the player, Kano Pillars Coach, Salisu Yusuf, said “Musa has been doing well and he is one of the reasons we are in the title race. We all hope he stays fit to set a new record by scoring at least 20 goals this season,” said Yusuf.
Young Ahmed possesses blistering pace, exciting dribbling skills and very alert on the ball, qualities that make it possible for him to shoot from distance.
All these qualities have not gone unnoticed by outsiders, some of who have made some efforts to bring the youngster to play for their clubs.
With some European club on the trail of the Pillar behind Kano Pillar, this season may be the first and the last he will play in the local league.
But, Ahmed is not in a hurry to join his compatriots in Europe. According to him, it is good to take things easy and wait for the right time to move to Europe.
One thing is certain: Nigeria has another goal king in the waiting. If properly guided, stepping into the big shoe left behind by the Super Eagles all time high scorer, Rashidi Yekini, may not be impossibility for one of the strongest pillars in Kano Pillars.