Former Juventus midfielder and ex-Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has reignited the conversation surrounding Ahmed Musa’s role as captain of Nigeria’s national team, questioning the logic behind having a bench player lead the team.

Ahmed Musa, Nigeria’s most capped player and World Cup record-holder, has been captain since the retirement of John Mikel Obi in 2019. However, his limited game time in recent years—especially during major tournaments like the 2021 and 2023 Africa Cup of Nations—has raised eyebrows.

Speaking during a recent interview on Channels TV, Oliseh didn’t mince words:

> “This is an anomaly. You can’t have your captain sitting on the bench. That means it’s the assistant who is leading the team. The Super Eagles is the most important role in Nigerian football.”

While Musa was largely a symbolic presence at AFCON tournaments, it was William Troost-Ekong who wore the armband on the field and led the team through most of the matches. Despite not featuring in the national setup throughout 2024, Musa was recently recalled by new head coach Eric Chelle for the Unity Cup friendlies in June.

Musa came off the bench in the match against Ghana as Nigeria defeated both the Black Stars and Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz to win the Unity Cup. Chelle’s unbeaten start as Super Eagles boss and his commitment to giving opportunities to local NPFL talents have earned him early praise, but the inclusion of Musa—and the captaincy question—remains a talking point.

While the decision to recall Musa might have been a nod to his experience and iconic status, many wonder if Chelle will now take the bold step of permanently assigning the captaincy to a more active, on-field leader ahead of Nigeria’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September.

Ahmed Musa remains a Nigerian football legend—the first to score a brace in two different World Cup tournaments (2014 and 2018), and Nigeria’s highest goal scorer at the tournament with four goals. But as Oliseh and others argue, legendary status might not be enough to justify continued leadership without active contribution on the pitch.