Saad Musa deliberating on football return after venturing into multiple businesses

For six seasons, Saad Musa was one of the most recognisable midfielders at AFC Leopards. Calm in possession, elegant in distribution and blessed with an eye for the perfect pass, the South Sudan international earned himself the fitting nickname “Passmaster” among Ingwe faithful.

Download our Mozzart Sport app for more news

But football can often be cruel.

Just when many believed Saad was entering the prime years of his career, injuries curtailed his momentum. A troublesome shoulder injury eventually forced him into a prolonged sabbatical from competitive football, removing him from the weekly spotlight of Kenyan football and replacing the noise of packed stadiums with a quieter, unfamiliar reality.

Today, life looks very different for the former Leopards anchorman.

Former AFC Leopards head coach wins Uganda Premier League with Vipers

“Staying away from football for that long is honestly challenging,” Saad says thoughtfully. “I had already undergone my surgery, so it was a new routine from waking up daily to going for training to waking up and just staying indoors with your family. Nothing competitive to do. It has not been easy mentally.”

For footballers, the game is more than a profession. It becomes routine, identity and purpose all rolled into one. The transition away from that structure can be emotionally draining, especially for someone who spent years competing at one of Kenya’s biggest clubs.

Saad admits the mental aspect has perhaps been the toughest challenge of all. The adrenaline of matchdays, the dressing room banter, the constant pursuit of improvement; all suddenly disappeared. In its place came recovery, patience and long periods of uncertainty.

Yet despite his absence from active football, he has never truly disappeared from the minds of fans.

“There are a lot of questions whenever I’m out and about,” he says with a smile. “They want to know when you are coming back, if the injury is fully healed, and where I am nowadays. That makes me happy because these are people who treasured you, and you see, they miss your presence.”

That affection speaks volumes about the connection he built during his time at Leopards. Though injuries may have limited his consistency on the pitch, supporters still remember the composure he brought to midfield and the intelligence with which he controlled games.

Away from football, Saad has now immersed himself in business life. Together with his brother, he runs a business of selling mobile phones, accessories, and clothes at Discount Arcade Mall near Green House in Nairobi.

“At the moment I’m focused on my business, selling phones and clothes with my brother,” he explains. “I personally mostly handle the phones and accessories part.”

Still, beneath the businessman exterior, the footballer inside him remains alive.

He does not speak like a man who has accepted retirement. In fact, his words suggest someone quietly preparing for another chance.

“I can’t rule out my return to competitive football,” he says firmly. “I even train with National Super League side Kibera Black Stars, and we also have this outfit called Lavington Sportiff alongside former Kenya national team captain Victor Wanyama. There we have a series of friendlies.”

He pauses briefly before adding, “I do not know exactly when I’ll return, but I know God has good plans for me. People tell me I’m too young to retire. I’ll try to find somewhere to play as soon as possible. You never know.”

Gor Mahia defender sends message to fans amidst title run-in

There is optimism in his voice, but also realism. Saad understands the difficulty of returning to elite football after a long absence. The game moves quickly, and opportunities are never guaranteed. Yet perhaps stepping away has also reignited his hunger.

“Premier League football would make it easier if I were to return,” he says. “I’ve been out, and I have seen how difficult it is. All I have to do is work hard and do a lot of gym work.”

The man whose name rang in many a fan's tongue at his prime reveals something deeper — the emotional cost of life away from the game.

“There’s also a lot of motivation in me now that I know how difficult it is without actively playing. You have nothing to show; you had a lot of friends, but now the number has reduced. So coming back will also make me gauge the kind of friendships back then and now.”

It is an honest reflection that many athletes quietly experience but rarely say publicly. Football can bring admiration, visibility and countless friendships, but injury often reveals which relationships survive when the spotlight fades.

As he rebuilds his own journey, Saad has also watched closely from afar as AFC Leopards enjoy one of their strongest seasons in years. The 2025/26 campaign has seen Ingwe emerge as genuine title challengers against rivals Gor Mahia, with many supporters believing this is the closest the club has come to reclaiming league glory in recent times.

Interestingly, Saad believes the difference is not necessarily talent.

“All the seasons, Leopards have always had a good team,” he explains. “The only thing the current chairman is doing, and I commend him for that, is that they are paying players on time, be it salaries, allowances, etc. The boys have it all to win.”

Meet Stoke City teenage defender included in latest Harambee Stars squad

For years, AFC Leopards squads were often praised individually but struggled collectively, partly due to off-pitch instability. Saad recalls moments during his own playing days when financial delays affected morale so badly that coaches had to prioritise players who were mentally prepared to compete.

“We also had a good technical bench with Patrick Aussems, Anthony Kimani, and Tom Juma, but things just didn’t work out,” he recalls. “We even had times when the coaches would say that if one is not mentally ready for matches due to delayed salaries, he’d rather they not come for the match because he only needed mentally strong players.”

This current Leopards side, however, feels different to him.

“They are the best team ever assembled at Leopards because they have actually come close to winning the title,” Saad says. “In my time, the best we achieved was position three. We had individual talents but with them, they are very compact as a unit.”

He also credits the technical bench for striking the right balance between club culture, youth and experience.

“There is a lot of balance in the technical bench as they have a lot of old boys of the club — from the Ambanis to Wendo,” he says. “They know everything about the club, and they are doing the right thing.”

On the pitch, he believes the blend of experienced heads and emerging talents has created a squad capable of sustained success.

“Balancing the team with the likes of Kelly Madada and Tyson Otieno is good as it’s a mixture of youth and experience in the league,” he says. “They’ll give a success story for Leopards in the next one or two years.”

And if Ingwe finally end their long wait for the league title?

“If the team actually wins the league, the current team will be the best ever simply because they have won it,” Saad says confidently. “Even if they don’t, the worst position to take home right now is second place — still higher than the position three we achieved during our time.”

There is no bitterness in his assessment, only admiration. Watching from the outside, Saad Musa sees a club that may finally be building the stability and unity that players in his era longed for.

As for his own future, the story remains unwritten.

Nine big names missing from McCarthy's latest Harambee Stars squad

For now, the Passmaster balances business, recovery and hope. The crowds may no longer watch him every weekend, but somewhere inside him, the competitor still burns quietly, waiting for one more chance to step back onto the pitch.