World Cup: "If Only England Had the Governor" – Ahmed Musa & Super Eagles React After England's Loss to Argentina

World Cup: "If Only England Had the Governor" – Ahmed Musa & Super Eagles React After England's Loss to Argentina

The comparison was inevitable. As England watched Lionel Messi's two late assists snatch victory from the jaws of their dream final, Nigerian fans could not help but recall a man who had tormented the same Argentine defense.

Ahmed Musa, Nigeria's all-time World Cup top scorer with four goals, famously scored a memorable brace against Argentina at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, becoming the first Nigerian to score more than once in a single World Cup match.

His performance that day remains one of the greatest individual displays by a Nigerian on the world stage.

"Ahmed Musa is the definition of a big-game player, and we could have used him here," wrote one fan on X, while many others pointed out England's lack of a player capable of troubling Argentina's defense the way Musa did in 2014.

England dominated early but became defensive after going ahead, allowing Argentina to push forward with wave after wave of relentless attack.

Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh was among those critical of England's approach, arguing that Thomas Tuchel's tactical decisions allowed Argentina to take control of the match at a crucial stage when the Three Lions were still in a strong position to secure victory.

"One of the worst-managed games in World Cup history. Leading 1-0 with over 25 minutes left, and you park the entire bus inside your own box?" Oliseh wrote on X.

Musa, who retired from international football in December 2025 after almost 15 years with the Super Eagles and 111 appearances, remains Nigeria's most capped player and the country's highest scorer at the World Cup.

The 33-year-old, who scored twice against Iceland at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, is fondly known as the "Governor" by Nigerian fans.

His ability to rise to the occasion on the biggest stage is something English fans could only dream of as they watched England surrender their lead to the reigning world champions.

England looked set to book their place in the final after Anthony Gordon put the Three Lions ahead early in the second half, but the match took a dramatic twist in the closing stages as Argentina produced a spirited comeback to snatch victory.

Lionel Messi played a decisive role in the turnaround, setting up Enzo Fernández for the equaliser in the 85th minute before providing another pinpoint delivery that Lautaro Martínez headed home in stoppage time to complete a stunning 2-1 comeback.

For Nigeria, the match served as a reminder of what could have been. Ahmed Musa's heroics against Argentina in 2014 will forever be etched in the memories of Nigerian fans, and his absence on the world stage is felt more than ever.

As Super Eagles supporters watched England crumble under pressure, they couldn't help but wonder: "If only England had the Governor."