Bet With Musa Spurred Me On - Salami

Niger Tornadoes’ hitman, Eugene Salami, has revealed that his meeting with his Kano Pillars’ counterpart, Ahmed Musa, during a national team assignment with the Super Eagles was the reason he has become the top scorer of the Premier League.

Salami told our Naijaligue.blogspot.com that his first meeting with Musa was in Kano before the second leg game against Niger Republic’s Mena in the Championship of African Nations (CHAN) qualifier, which ended in a goalless draw leading to Nigeria’s ouster.

But in early April of this year when both players met again for another national team assignment – the West African Football Union (WAFU) Nations Cup – in Abeokuta, Salami was six goals behind Musa, who had scored 15 goals at that time.

The Tornadoes’ marksman said in spite of being six goals behind at that time, he was undaunted and had the self-belief that he could topple Musa and finish ahead of him at the end of this season’s campaign.

“Myself and Ahmed first met before the game against Niger Republic in Kano. He is a very friendly person. We talked very well. But it was at the WAFU Cup competition that we really got talking about the highest goalscorer award. Somehow we took a bet though money was not involved. He told me he will win the award ahead of me and I told him that when the season ends I will be the one smiling.

“Even he said he is targeting a new record in Nigeria. So it was that reason that I started working hard because I wanted to prove a point to him that I am one of the best strikers now in the league. Ahmed is a fantastic player, who can become one of the best that this country has produced if he is properly managed. Since then I have been working hard to make sure that I become the top scorer though I still play for the team’s success,” said Salami.

All of Salami’s hard work has indeed paid off in the interim with the player scoring seven times in his club’s last seven Premier League games in which he has started in those games.

But he knows that Musa would fight back in order to reclaim his position, adding that he is ready for the battle in the run-in to the finale of the season.

Salami said: “I am ready for the battle (for top scorer). And I have the confidence that I will score more goals before the season ends.”