AHMED MUSA: THE UNKNOWN HEROE

What's his history?

Musa remained off the beaten track until Russian Premier League club CSKA Moscow swooped, but the forward put in his time to get there.

An Aminchi Football Academy product, Musa's second professional year on loan at Kano Pillars, scoring 18 goals in 25 games, saw him come to life. In doing so, he set a record in the Nigeria Premier League.

It pricked the ears of Eredivisie outfit VVV-Venlo, who signed Musa in 2010. He waited until he was 18 under FIFA rules, as did VVV, and it paid off.

We could have been introduced to Musa in the 2010 World Cup, after Lars Lagerback called him up to the 30-man squad for South Africa, but an unfortunate ankle injury prevailed.

An unnamed Bundesliga team bid £8million in 2011, which was turned down, before Moscow got their man for an undisclosed fee in 2012.

What's his goalscoring record like?

Statistics don't lie, and neither do Musa's. Since moving to Moscow, the forward has performed admirably on the wing, scoring 19 in 65 in the Russian Premier League.

He has bags of potential, particularly at such a young age, and showed he can bring that to the world stage against Argentina. His brace in the Group F finale brought his total for Nigeria to six in 37 games, and Musa could have had his hat-trick had it not been for heroic defending from Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta, who was given a run for his money by his pacey counterpart.

Has he adapted well to new countries?

From Nigeria, to Holland, then Russia - and even Brazil - Musa has taken to each well.

It would be unfair to compare the Eredivisie and Russian Premier League to that in England, but there seem to be no causes for concern should Musa attract interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, as he did in 2011, or others.

Musa has spent two years in Russia, winning the title twice, and seems comfortable.

Has he attracted interested?

For a largely unknown player, Musa has been on many a shortlist.

Most notably in England is that of Tottenham Hotspur who, during his VVV days, were reported to have sent scouts to Holland. There have also been Eredivisie giants Ajax on the hunt and the anonymous Bundesliga club whose £8m could not tempt him to Germany.

Is it time he tested his mettle in the English Premier League?

It is known to be the most demanding - and rewarding - league in the world, so no wonder most players aim for England.

Musa would surely fit in, given the two impressive goals he bagged against Argentina to become the first Nigerian to ever bag a brace in a World Cup match. There, he more than held his own against an array of stars, including Marcos Rojo, Ezeuiel Garay and Javier Mascherano to name a few.

He would, though, have to up his physical game. Musa, for all his technical ability when it comes to scoring, hardly looks strong enough in his five foot seven frame to battle in the Premier League. That, though, is something that can easily be worked on.