coachbetter coach’s spotlight: Christopher Musa, head coach of Nigeria U19

BoomRadioNG | October 26, 2020

This week, we are very happy to introduce the Head Coach of the Nigeria Women U20 National Team to our community. Christopher Danjuma Musa dedicates his coaching career to the development of women’s soccer and celebrated important milestones for his country by playing Spain in the U20 World Cup in the Round of Last 16 in 2017 and winning the All African Cup in 2019. During the interview, he tells us about the challenges in coaching a national team and how technology, and especially coachbetter, helps him to overcome distance. You can see the full interview in our Blog here.

CB: How did you come to soccer and how as a coach?
Musa: I love soccer since I was a little kid. I really started to play more professionally in 1985 for my university team. After playing many years professionally and spending the longest time at Plateau United between 1991 and 2001, several coaches approached me and saw potential in me and encouraged me to become a soccer coach. Afterwards, I started coaching women teams and I hold the national and CAF (African Federation) coaching license. See below his interview after his team played Spain in the World Cup in France.

CB: Why did you decide to coach women and not men?
Musa: My first opportunity was coaching a women’s team in Tin City in 2002. Even though I changed in 2013 to become the technical advisor in men’s soccer, I quickly realized that my real passion is women’s coaching and especially the great potential to be part of developing women’s soccer. This is what I love. In this field, I can use my skills and, with patience, encourage my players and give them hope and belief in themselves.

CB: What is your game philosophy?
Musa: To me, ball possession is key. If you have the ball, you can enjoy the game way more and have the great opportunity to lead rather than concede. For me, action is always easier than reaction. In order to stay flexible during matches and because I have great player skills in my team, I have my players be familiar with many formations, but I usually start with a 4-2-3-1 formation. See below the goal his team scored against Spain in the U20 World Cup in France.

CB: Why do you use coachbetter?
Musa: My biggest challenge as national coach is the distance to my players. In order to overcome those difficulties, coachbetter helped me to get used to technology. Like that, I can send training plans and analysis to my players and they have access while traveling and we have efficient meetings when we meet in person. Additionally, coachbetter helped me to gain so much more knowledge and insights in what I do. On top, thanks to the video analysis tool, I started to get more into the professional analysis using this technology, it is very simple and provides a value to my coaching that has not been there before.

CB: What is your favorite drill in coachbetter?
Musa: In general, my favorite thing about coachbetter is the Planning Section. In order to comply with my philosophy, I really enjoy the passing drills and wing play exercises that coachbetter provides.

CB: As a coach, who would you like to train or have loved to train?
Musa: My dream is to coach Nigeria’s Women A-Team, the Super Falcons. To me, this would close the circle. I know most of the players since they were young in the U17 and U19 and I am still delighted seeing them develop so amazingly. This would be a very special fulfilment.

CB: Which coach does inspire you?
Musa: Pep Guardiola. I like his philosophy, to define soccer in your own way and at the same time create something new. At the same time, he is really flexible in his tactics and adjusting to the game. Like people say, “this is Guardiola’s philosophy”, one day I want to hear them say “this is Christopher’s formation”.

CB: If you have one wish, what would it be in terms of development for soccer?
Musa: My biggest wish is that women’s soccer would get as much attention as men’s soccer. The women really deserve it due to great quality in the game and to encourage more women to play this beautiful sport.

CB: What is your coaching moment that you will never forget?
Musa: When we won the all African games 2019 in Morocco.