Veteran Super Eagles forward Ahmed Musa has officially left the Nigerian camp following the highly charged Unity Cup clash against rivals Ghana, while rising Brentford star Benjamin Fredrick has been spotted training with the squad ahead of their next assignment in the tournament.
Soccernet.ng's correspondent in the Super Eagles camp in London Tobi Adepoju confirmed Musa’s departure, stating it was a pre-planned exit due to personal reasons and other commitments.
Musa featured as he got off the bench in the 62nd minute in the 2-1 win against Ghana on Wednesday night, bringing experience and leadership to a youthful Nigerian side during the emotionally intense showdown.
Musa’s absence opens the door for younger players to step up, and one such player is Benjamin Fredrick, the dynamic 19-year-old Brentford's Under-21 Player of the Year arrived in camp on Thursday and participated in his first full training session with the squad on Thursday morning in London.
With the next match of the Unity Cup looming — a final against Jamaica — the squad is shifting focus from the emotional Ghana win to tactical fine-tuning and squad rotation.
Despite the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) not announcing a call-up to Fredrick — a former Flying Eagles star, however, it is unclear whether he will just train with the team or he will also be named in the squad that will play against Jamaica as the technical team is expected to test new combinations in the upcoming fixture against the Reggae Boys on Saturday, May 31.
The departure of Musa, while unfortunate, also signals a continued generational shift in the Super Eagles camp.
By: Pascal Amoah
