CHAN Qualifiers: Musa, Shehu Dropped From Super Eagles B Squad Over Eligibility Issues

Super Eagles B assistant coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, has confirmed that Kano Pillars stars Ahmed Musa and Shehu Abdullahi were initially named in Nigeria’s 30-man squad for the 2024 CHAN qualifiers against Ghana but were later dropped due to eligibility concerns.

The exclusion of Musa and Shehu raised eyebrows after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) unveiled the squad, comprised solely of Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) players, ahead of the doubleheader clash with Ghana. The CHAN Eagles are currently in camp in Ikenne, Ogun State, preparing for the first leg in Accra on December 22 and the return leg in Uyo on December 28.

Speaking to PUNCH Sports Extra, Ilechukwu disclosed, “Ahmed Musa was on our list. There’s no way we wouldn’t have included him considering his performances in the league. However, we were told to replace him due to eligibility issues.”

He added that the same situation applied to Shehu Abdullahi. Both players returned to Kano Pillars this season under the NPFL’s Elite Player Scheme but failed to meet the Confederation of African Football (CAF) criteria for CHAN participation.

CAF regulations stipulate that only players registered with a local club in their country of birth on a permanent contract are eligible for the CHAN tournament. While Musa and Shehu play in Nigeria, their contracts under the Elite Player Scheme—a framework allowing clubs to register up to two players deemed to add value to the league—complicated their eligibility.

An NPFL official declined to comment, referring inquiries to the NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, who was unavailable for clarification.

The 2024 African Nations Championship will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania in February 2025. The competition is exclusively for domestic league players with standard contracts. Nigeria’s CHAN history includes a third-place finish in 2014 and a runner-up position in 2018, losing the final to Morocco.

The Eagles’ quest to break their CHAN title drought begins with a challenging encounter against Ghana, as Ilechukwu’s squad looks to adapt without two of its most high-profile players.