CAF Celebrates Ighalo’s AFCON 2019 Feat Again

Duro Ikhazuagbe

As arguments reign in football circles in the country on the impropriety of recalling Odion Ighalo from retirement for the senior national team, the Super Eagles, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) yesterday celebrated the feat of the Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia forward at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Ighalo finished as tournament’s top scorer with five goals which saw the Eagles take home the third place bronze medal.

AFCON 2019 was Ighalo’s second major tournament with the Eagles after featuring at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia where he had less than satisfactory performance.

It was threats to his immediate family from a section of the Nigerian football supporters that forced Ighalo to call time on his international career two years ago.

And reflecting on Ighalo’s performance, CAF published clips of all his five goals at the 2019 edition on their verified Twitter handle with the inscription:”7 Matches, 5 Goals. SuperEagles star @ighalojude ruled the 2019 #TotalEnergiesAFCON! ??”

Since both the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick and Eagles Head Coach, Gernot Rohr gave hints of the recall of Ighalo, opinions have been divided on whether to recall him or not with majority insisting that he has given his best to the team and should have been allowed to continue to enjoy his ‘retirement’ football in Saudi Arabia.

One of the respected voices from the Super Eagles Class of 1994, Mutiu Adepoju told reporters in Ibadan at the weekend that Ighalo has nothing more to prove in the Super Eagles.

Though Adepoju admitted liking Ighalo as a person, the former Shooting Stars mercurial midfielder insisted Nigeria has enough junior players proving their mettles in that department.

Adepoju pointed in the direction of Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi amongst several options available for Rohr to pick from rather than pulling Ighalo from retirement.