Ahmed Musa achieved iconic status on Friday as he joined celebrated Cameroon star Roger Milla as the only two African players to score twice in two separate World Cup matches following Nigeria‘s the 2-0 victory against Iceland.
His brilliant brace kick-started the Super Eagles’ World Cup campaign in Russia, which is ironic as he couldn’t get a kick for club side Leicester City last season – having made a £16m switch to the King Power Stadium from CSKA Moscow in 2016.
The only other African footballer to have scored twice in two separate World Cup matches was Cameroon’s then 38-year-old Milla, both at Italia 90.
Musa spent the second half of 2017/18 on loan back at CSKA, scoring six league goals in 10 outings.
Buoyed by that confidence he scored a terrific opening goal against Iceland, lashing in Victor Moses’ cross, before coolly rounding the goalkeeper for his second.
The result breathed life into Nigeria’s hopes of progression from Group D following an opening defeat to Croatia. They are now second, above both Iceland and Argentina, with the result and display from Musa possibly breathing life into his club career too.
“Let me ask you a question,” he began after becoming Nigeria’s record finals scorer. “Did you ever see me play? Did they give me any opportunity to show myself after they sacked the coach [Claudio Ranieri, the manager who signed him in 2016]?
“So I don’t want to talk about that. I have to go back to the team and finally I say what … maybe I have to leave.
“They’ve (CSKA Moscow) given me the confidence when I came back and made me believe I can do it because it’s not that easy staying on the bench without playing for seven months.”
Nigeria face Lionel Messi and Argentina in their final group clash on Tuesday. They have lost all three of their previous World Cup meetings with La Albiceleste but did come from two goals down to beat the South Americans 4-2 in a friendly in Krasnodar last November.
Defender Leon Balogun, who signed for Brighton & Hove Albion from Mainz before setting off for this World Cup, acknowledged that Argentina would be a wounded animal after their 3-0 hammering at the hands of Croatia.
“I think they haven’t found their form yet and they haven’t found Messi as well,” said the 28-year-old.
“They’re very dependent. They always have been. Again if you look at their qualifying campaign you can see that Messi was the one who took them to the World Cup.”
The lesson from watching Argentina’s defeat against Croatia is patience.
“You have to be very patient and definitely you need to be disciplined defensively,” he said.
“You have to close all the passes, or as many as possible, to Messi to leave him out of the game – but then at the same time take out the rest of their amazing qualities so it’s not going to be an easy one.”
