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Former Nigerian midfielder, Mutiu Adepoju has condemned the plan by the Nigeria Football Federations (NFF) to recall Odion Ighalo back into the Super Eagles team.
Adepoju described such move as unnecessary and a waste of time considering the fact that the likes of Victor Osimhen, Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi and others are painting Europe with goals.
“I like Ighalo as a player, he is a very good striker. He retired from the Super Eagles two years, so, if he is recalled to do what the strikers in the team are doing, well, I don’t know the reason for that.
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“We have (Victor) Osimhen scoring very well for his club, we have Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi and so many of them.
“If we have players who are doing very well and scoring goals in their clubs, do we still have to recall Ighalo? It’s just my opinion.”
Recall that Ighalo hanged his boots after helping the team win a bronze in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, where the Super Eagles defeated Tunisia 1-0 in the Third-Place match.
27 Comments
And the funny thing is that. Non of them scored in their leagues this weekend.
They did Sir
@Olu You be idiot na everyday them go score na, FOOL na for your dreams Ighalo go come win us Cup.
Haha I won’t reply u. We all saw how falcon played against Ghana girls in Accra if it was ur boys against Ghana men team can dey eagles survived it . Ghana black star wil score even in the 95th minutes. Abi I like
Abi I lie
What’s this one even saying? Do you proofread your write up before posting at all?
How is it a waste of time?
With due respect to Mutiu Adepoju, scoring goals in a club side is not the same as replicating such feat in a continental tournament. I think this is where Mutiu is getting it all wrong. If he is saying the proposed inclusion is not reliable or let’s even say capable, that would’ve been understandable.
Anyway, the importance of Afcon is such that you don’t go there with inexperienced players alone minding the fact that you are availed the opportunity of infusing 2 or 3 effective and experienced hands to marshall the young squad.
The so-called Awoniyi, Osimhen, Onuachu are good no doubt, but these lads will farther the moment they are one on one with defenders like the ruthless Jonathan Mensah of Ghana or the indomitable duo of Ngadeu and Tolo. Not even mentioning Zulu of the Bafana.
I don’t want to sound as if I am making a case for Odion and Musa but Mutiu can bank it that without experienced hands in Cameroon, next year, the Super Eagles will not go far in the tournament. Coach Rohr can quote me.
Idiot Spam autoliker. Oseodion you are shamelessly insane and need help.
The truth is of all the strikers we have painting Europe red with goals only Osimhen and Nacho are proven and assured in the national team.The rest needs time to prove there mettle.
Recalling an Ighalo who is the top scorer in the league he plays and was a handful to defenders in his national team days with goals aplenty towards the twilight of his international career isn’t a waste of time in my opinion.
@ Greenturf, it is definitely a waste of time. It just shows the coaching crew has been lazying out all these while. It will only make sense if Ighalo’s coming will 100% guarantee us winning AFCON n World cup, otherwise,it’s futile n will be counter productive in the long run. I am a very big fan of Rohr and have never ever been shy to echo that on this public forum but honestly speaking, he is letting me down with recent attitude to invitation of players n SE in general. It would have been more respectful to resign if condition of service was becoming turbulent than carrying on with such seemingly ” I DONT CARE ATTITUDE”. Nigeria is a great n beautiful country but majority of nigerians will worship money to the point of destroying themselves n everything/everyone trying to better their lives. Reason I will never criticize Buhari; he is the type Nigeria likes and he fits the Nigerian mindset.
Rohr just makes himself looks weak before the players/NFF members.He seems to have lost total control of the team. What even makes it more annoying,is, how on earth will Rohr that is being owed several months of salary keeps allowing himself to be bullied into playing certain players against his wish. This isn’t the Rohr that started off with our SE. All of these interference is what is actually weakening the teams performance, because certain players godfathers seems to have made it clear, their players must get invitation come what may.
There was an occasion,in one of SE matches recently, can’t remember the exact match now, where I saw Shehu Abdullah patting Rohr’s head/shoulder in a style to suggest to Rohr,that Rohr is being only a stooge to listen to “them”. That action really infuriated me because I know for sure, same Shehu, won’t try such with his club manager talkless of top managers that mourinho, pep, or even Westerhof. Such action gives a sense of who is in control. So all these talks of Ighalo coming or deciding, is nothing but a case of certain criminal individuals influencing Rohr to bow to their request. Won’t be out of place to even suspect Ighalo himself might have spread some hard cash to hatch this move. A SOLID TEAM IS A COLLECTION OF PLAYERS PLAYING AS ONE AND NOT ONE PLAYER MAKING THAT TEAM SOLID.
I respect your opinion @Glory you sounded well.
But Ighalo is playing well at the moment he is in great form.I would have come down heavily on Rohr if Ighalo wasn’t doing well unlike the case of Ahmed Musa.A player who is a shadow of his old self getting invited ahead of the likes of Onyekuru,Dennis and Amoo is a bizarre professional decision.
I was a big critic of Ighalo but his post world cup performances won my heart hence my support.
In my opinion Ighalo should stay retired but if the coach thinks his services is still needed I wouldn’t judge his professional opinion.
I understand money is a big issue in Nigeria and people can be swayed easily a shame that but our gaffer seem a honest fellow but my fears is the influence of top government officials in players selection especially in the case of Musa.
In my opinion Shehu Abdullahi when played in his natural midfield position has always done creditably well,as a right back hasn’t done badly too.
@ Greenturf, while I do agree with the gaffer having the right to choose, the smell of shoddy deals oozes badly around the team. And it’s a well known fact, that anyone or anything that sacrifice fairness/honesty at the alter of certain negative vices as godfatherism, such, is only on the path to failure. Failure can be immediate or in the long run, implying we may, with Ighalo n all grand father clock retired players go on to win Afcon but then going forward, only to start facing the reality of such clocks only able to give pre-historic time when others are bossing the now. Keshi winning 2013 n it’s aftermath is a case in point.
@Glory.
This man, no need to start reading all kinds of complicated meanings into innocent gestures. That your story about Shehu and Rohr sounds like comedy to me.
Otherwise I agree with most of what you say.
Ighalo should stay retired. The risk of upsetting the Nigerian fans is too high. Let’s not forget the abuse he received after the World Cup that almost made him suicidal, not to mention the death threats to his family.
He can do without all that and enjoy the rest of his career wherever he chooses to play.
Nigerian ex player indeed. Osimhen is nursing injury, Awoniyi has not been able to score neither has Iheanacho seen 90 minutes of play. He hasn’t even scored for a while and Onuachu is showing strength in lowly rated belgian club. So, what is Peju beefing about? Pls, Nigerian former footballers, if you don’t have anything meaningful to contribute, simply remain quiet. Must you ever meet the press??? Allow Rohr to do the work he is paid to do. It is our tax.
Mutiu, leave Iheanacho out of your comment. May be you think Awoniyi’s position is being threatened but that is not how it is.
We keep talking about experience but the question is ; how do one get experience if he isn’t given the opportunity to clock in that time and get that experience?!
Everyone needs the chance to gather experience. Every experience player was once a rookie. You don’t metarmophise to an experience player overnight,you are allowed to grow into it. And without the opportunity, there is no experience!
Simply put, the young guns need their day in the sun. They need their opportunity to prove themselves and gather that experience.
In as much as I respect Ighalo,his patriotism, service and his quality; but I think he wouldn’t be necessary.
Osimhen could be the leader we need in the attack,all he needs is the trust, belief and the challenge. He needs to be given that responsibility. He has it him to be that guy Ighalo was. Not forgetting the rest of the pack that can grow into that proven strike force we desire; Iheanacho, Sadiq, Awoniyi, Moffi and a Dessers. All they need is opportunity and trust.
Yes we had a ‘blight’ against CAR in Lagos but scoring isn’t our problem. We have scored goals. The problem is in creativity. We should be looking at that angle and how to shore up that area not the attack that ironically, is our strength currently.
If Ighalo comes,I would support him,as a fan and a patriot. It is the coach’s prerogative. But I do know. This is just my two cent.
Ah, there he is!
On another thread, I agreed with OmoEsan that we haven’t heard from you in a while.
Good to see you again, Mr. Hush.
Wait o; if i’m not mistaken Mutiu Adepoju was also taken to the world cup in 2002 by Adegboye Onigbinde as an “experienced hand” to help guide the young players the coach took to the event after discarding Oliseh, Finidi, Oruma, Babangida, Ikpeba, Igali and the other experienced players that went to the 2002 nation’s cup.
Taribo West, Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu were the only “big boys” from the nation’s cup squad that went to that World Cup. Mutiu was very “far” from the squad, in that he was hardly pulling up trees in Saudi Arabia (where he was playing club football) and had not played for the national team in about two years, but Onigbinde made the case for an “experienced presence” in the dressing room, and everyone kept quiet. In the end he did not get on the field for any of the three matches at the World Cup.
I wonder if he’s the best person to make the case against Ighalo’s inclusion; which given CAF has increased the squad numbers for the Nations’ Cup to 28 players is not nearly as controversial as it was three (3) weeks ago when it was first mooted.
Onigbinde’s own case is tribalism simply put.Not undermining his successes as a coach at both club and country.
However,going to a world cup with an Opabumi and Mutui whose football has left him as at the time wasn’t justifiable.
Any experience coming to a team would have to be in great form to be valuable to the team needing their services otherwise I do not see the point.
But in Ighalo’s case he’s in hot form besides he leads the scorers chat in the middle East.Im not too bothered on his inclusion but if Rohr trusts him to get the job done I shall support the gaffer who knows this players better.
Onigbinde was a tribal tiger-marked-faced-ewedu-guzzler… a complete void of a man!
Haha @JimmyBall take it easy with baba naa..haha..
Jimmyball, look at the way you just described a man old enough to be ur grandfather, make ur point without using gutter languages. Keshi, Christian chuckwu and Onigbinde who’s more tribalist.
Hmmm, Jimbo, take am easy with Baba ooo. E never reach dat levels.
BTW, try ewedu with gbegiri. I guarantee you will like it!
Why didn’t experience win the last Afcon for SE?….. Winning the Afcon is not dependent on Ighalo or Musa because they are not demigods of football……It’s a team sport and we already have a team…… Winning a major tournament is not just by experience…….It takes determination…..it takes the will…..it takes confidence…..you have to want it the most…… you guys should stop making excuses to bring back Ighalo……Coach Rhor has already concluded it with Ighalo before it got to the media so let’s get over it……But giving all this excuses is like pissing on our head and telling us That it’s raining…….My own is that after every every please I don’t want anyone to come to the media and complain that his family is been threatened……Ighalo is not the only one that has played for SE and he won’t be the last.
https://soccernet.ng/2021/11/ighalo-salisus-return-to-the-super-eagles-send-a-negative-message-and-show-no-signs-of-progress.html
To all in support of this Jungle backward behaviour read and Diggest.
Sorry, you are late