CSKA's Musa out to emulate Doumbia

MOSCOW - Agence France-Presse

CSKA Moscow's football team player Seydou Doumbia. AFP photo

CSKA Moscow's Nigerian international forward Ahmed Musa, who netted his team's third goal in the 3-0 Russian league victory against Samara at the weekend, is out to emulate the goal-scoring feats of Ivorian teammate Seydou Doumbia.
 
"I was very happy to score my season's first goal," said 19-year-old Musa. "I hope I will be able to score many more goals this season and win the title with CSKA.
 
"I'm not yet a top-class scorer like my teammate Seydou Doumbia, who was top scorer in the Russian league last season, but I'm doing my best to become like him." It has been a good week for Musa, who also set up Japanese colleague Keisuke Honda for CSKA's winning goal in their Europa League play-off first-leg against Swedish side AIK on Thursday, which the Moscow club won 1-0.
 
"We have won 3-0 our two last matches in the Russian league and grabbed an away win in the Europa League," Musa said.
 
"We are now on the rise after a rocky start to the new season. I believe we can win the Russian title if we continue playing this way." Musa added that while reigning Russian champions and table-toppers Zenit St Petersburg looked strong, you could never second-guess how the season would pan out.
 
"Zenit have lost points in their two last league matches," he said. "Even the strongest teams cannot perform at their top throughout the long season. I believe other clubs also have chances." Musa, who followed the same path trodden by Honda when he moved to CSKA from Dutch outfit VVV-Venlo earlier this year, said he was happy with his life in Moscow, and added that he had not come across any incidents of racism in Russian stadiums.
 
"My life in Moscow is very interesting. I'm playing for the country's top club here and it helps me a lot to win a regular place in my national team's line-up," he said.
 
"CSKA fans love me and often ask me for an autograph or a joint photo. I never reject their requests, it's a part of my profession.
 
"When I came to Russia my compatriots warned me that I might face outbreaks of racism at football venues in Russia but I have still not experienced anything like that against me here."