Odion Ighalo Will He Return to Super Eagles?

With the quality of strikers presently in the Super Eagles fold, it is shocking that the eggheads of the Nigeria Football Federation and indeed the national team coach, Gernot Rohr are persuading erstwhile Eagles striker, Odion Ighalo who honourably took a bow out of the team after 2019 AFCON to rescind his decision

Odion Ighalo announced his retirement from international football after winning the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Golden Boot. He was awarded the top scorer’s prize in Egypt after scoring five goals in seven appearances for the Super Eagles.

Over two years after the former Watford striker took the honourable decision, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Super Eagles Franco-German manager Gernot Rohr are talking him into reversing his decision to quit international football.
“I had a long conversation with Odion Ighalo, personally I believe we need experience in our attack to combine with our energetic youthful Osimhen, Onuachu, Kelechi et al.

“Odion’s body language is very positive. We are also in touch with his agents and club.

“The vibe going into these last two games and indeed AFCON is very good.”

Rohr has indeed revealed that he has included former Manchester United striker Ighalo on his provisional roster for the upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifying matches against Liberia and Cape Verde.

Ighalo bowed out on his international career when the ovation was loudest.

Pinnick and Rohr have been attempting to persuade him to reverse his decision to quit the national team without success.

Ighalo is believed to still stand by his decision to quit the national team despite holding talks with Rohr and Pinnick, meaning he is not at the disposal of the Super Eagles coach for the games next month.

Rohr pointed out that he wants the Al Shabab striker because the Super Eagles badly need his leadership qualities with so many young strikers in the current squad, and has labelled Ighalo a ‘great player’.

Asked why he wants to extend an invitation to Ighalo despite having Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho and Paul Onuachu in his squad, the Franco-German said to Elegbete TV : “We miss his leadership, we miss his experience, we miss the goals he scored, he was the best goalscorer in the last AFCON, he was the best goalscorer in the qualifiers and I think we have so many young players that could learn a lot on the side of such a great player.

“Ighalo is a very important man, I hope that he can come back, I put him on the bigger first list, provisional list for the next games.
“We are in touch, he’s doing very well in the club and he has still the ambition to help his country.”

Ighalo is proving that age is just a number as he is still going strong at the age of 32, scoring eight goals in nine matches in the new Saudi Pro League season.

Ighalo was singled out for missing what fans believed was a clear goal opportunity that would have kept Nigeria’s World Cup hopes alive in the game against Argentina at the 2018 World Cup.

The striker has faced a barrage of insults including threats of violence.
Ighalo had to take to social media to address fans and appealed to those who “want to kill him.”

Writing in the local pidgin vernacular, Ighalo asked fans to remember he was “someone’s child.”

“Great experience to be at the World Cup and I enjoyed every moment of it,” he wrote on Instagram.

“We did our best but sometimes things don’t always go the way you want, but life has to go on.

“For those that want to kill me abeg na person pikin I be o (please I am someone’s child),” Ighalo wrote.

He started his career as a youth player in the U-20 team and later made his senior debut during an international friendly match against Uganda in March 2015.

After playing 35 matches and scoring 16 goals, which ranks him as the seventh all-time highest goalscorer in the national team history, he took the decision to bow out for younger ones to ‘learn and grow’.

“This is one of the most difficult career decisions I have had to take. It’s been an amazing five years journey, but after due consultation and extensive discussion with my family I have decided it’s time for me to retire from the national team,” Ighalo wrote on Instagram.

“It has been an eventful and most memorable opportunity to serve my country with pride, passion and to contribute my quota to the development of our football, the memories would stay with me for a long time and I’m immensely grateful.

“It is now time to concentrate on club football and give the younger players the chance to learn and grow. I would love to thank the NFF, coach Gernot Rohr for believing in me against all odds, to my teammates for their professionalism and team spirit, without you guys I wouldn’t have achieved so much with this team.

“To Nigerian football fans all over the world, I say thank you, you were always there to cheer us on and our 12th player every time we step onto the pitch. I will be watching and cheering the Super Eagles from this side. Thank you… Signing out.”

Ighalo has however confirmed that Rohr and Pinnick have contacted him over a potential return to the national team.

“They have been in contact with me about the possibility of coming back, Amaju and coach,” Ighalo told ESPN. “I don’t know. I have not said yes or no. I haven’t made any decision concerning the national team.”

Meanwhile, the 32-year-old showed why Rohr wants him back in the squad after he scored in Al-Shabab’s 3-0 win against Al Tai on Thursday night.

It now remains to be seen if Ighalo would bow to pressure to lured out of retirement from international football.