Ahmed Musa retires from international football at 33

Ahmed Musa, former Super Eagles captain, has announced his retirement from international football.

The 33-year-old announced his decision in a social media post on Wednesday.

“After a lot of thought, I have decided to retire from international football, bringing to an end almost 15 years with the Super Eagles,” the post reads.

“From the very first call-up, wearing the green and white meant everything to me.

“I was just a young boy when the journey started. I remember being invited at the same time to the U-20, U-23 and the Super Eagles. I was young, still learning, and always travelling, but I never complained. Whenever Nigeria called, I showed up. It was never something I had to think twice about.

“Playing 111 matches for my country is something I hold with deep respect. To become the most capped player in the history of Nigerian football is a great honour. Every time I wore the jersey, I understood the responsibility that came with it.”

Musa made his debut for the Super Eagles at age 17 and went on to become the team’s most capped player.

His spell with the Eagles was filled with excitement, including being part of the squad that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON).

Musa also achieved individual milestones with the team, especially in the World Cups. He scored a brace in the group game against Argentina at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil to become the first Nigerian to score more than one goal at a World Cup.

He crowned his achievement at the following World Cup after scoring another brace against Iceland in Russia. He did not just become the first Nigerian to score in two World Cups but also the country’s leading all-time goal scorer in the competition.

Musa served as the national team captain for a while until recently, when the captaincy was passed to William Troost-Ekong, who is now retired.

After a successful club career in the Netherlands, Russia, England and Saudi Arabia, Musa returned to Kano Pillars, his boyhood club, in 2024 for a third stint. He played a season with the team before he was named the club’s general manager at the beginning of the 2025/26 season.