They lifted him shoulder high and others jostled to get a selfie as he struggled to get down and free himself from the admiring mob of fans at the end of the Matchday 6 fixture.
Akwa United had just beaten the visiting Kano Pillars 2-0 and it was made more interesting by the fact that Coach Baba Ganaru was winning his first game of the season against his former club.
Apparently, the over 6,000 fans at the stadium were enthused by the presence of former Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, who was making his second appearance for Kano Pillars since rejoining the club for a third time.
Goals on either half of the match settled the evenly contested encounter in favour of Akwa United that has suffered a poor start to the season, winless in five games with two home defeats.
By the time the referee blew for full-time, fans began scaling the high railings and rushing towards Musa, Nigeria’s most capped national team player.
It was indeed a show of love and not the kind of hostile pitch invasion that tasks security operatives. While they may have been caught unawares, their attempts to prevent the fans from celebrating their idol was fruitless. Even Musa’s disposition with smiles and handshakes to the admiring fans kind of advised the security details to hold back.
“Musa, Musa, Musa”, they chanted as two fans lifted him on their shoulders running.
When he alighted, the player who had for several years led the Super Eagles to memorable runouts at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, spared time patiently to pose for photographs with lucky fans who gained access to his side.
“I am truly overwhelmed by the show of love by the fans.
“I felt at home before and during the match as I am not a stranger to the beautiful city of Uyo and the stadium where I led the Eagles to many wins.
“It was the fans admiration after the match that touched me the most. I never got this reception even when we qualified for the World Cup here”, Musa to a group of Sports Journalists who cornered him on the stadium tracks.
Utibe Effiong, one of the fans said he purposely came to watch the match after he heard that Musa trained with the team on Saturday evening.
“Ah! I made sure I came here today because I have been reading and hearing that Ahmed Musa rejoined Pillars.
“I came very early today because yesterday, I saw video of him training with the team. I have already began sharing the pictures with him on my social media handles and I hope to get many engagements on the posts”, Effiong gushed.
For Mary Anniette, “it felt too real to be true to have Musa pose with her in a picture”. The aspiring female player said meeting established stars like Musa motivates young upcoming players because they see them as role models.
Next for Kano Pillars will be a midweek Matchday 7 clash at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu on Wednesday.
Video: Fans celebrating Ahmed Musa at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo a day before his birthday on October 14.
