Former Kwara United coach, Samson Unuanel believes the decision of Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr to recall Odion Ighalo back to the team is best to him.
Rohr included Ighalo in his 24-man squad for the 2022 World Cup qualifying games against Liberia and Cape Verde later this month.
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.
In an interview with Completesports.com, Unuanel said that Rohr shouldn’t be crucified for extending invitation to the former Watford striker ahead of Nigeria’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Liberia and Cape Verde.
“It’s unfair if we crucify Rohr for recalling Ighalo back to the senior national team. I am sure that he must have seen how Ighalo can contribute to the team before inviting him.
“Yes, we have other strikers like Victor Osimehn, Taiwo Awoniyi, Paul Onuachu, Kelechi Iheanacho and others, but then, Ighalo’s experience in the team will definitely count.
“I am confident Ighalo won’t disappoint if he decides to make a return to the team regardless of what people say about him.”
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COMMENTS
Okay, next news?
The games will lack substance without the red-hot players Thomas Party, Odion Ighalo, Mo Salah, Sadio Mane on the continent. These players apart from experience, make the game full of fun. The goals come with a lot of excitement and all that. Meanwhile, Coach Rohr should kindly unveil his first eleven for the double-header. What’s going on with our preparation?
All Nigerians are coach ooooooooooo
Abi oooo @Kunle it is then you will see them brandishing different formations and different players name. That was how they were shouting then that Awoniyi is scoring every week and that for his club forgetting to know that a player scoring freely in his club doesn’t mean he will most likely do that in national team. Awoniyi was eventually invited capped and what do we get missed a sitter. You could see the man did not even bother to use him in return leg because he could not afford to experiment with inexperience hence the need to recall Ighalo. Awoniyi and the likes are good no doubt about that but this is national football different from clubside where they would have blend with eachother well unlike national team. All these young players needs time. A good fan allow the coach to do his work and if he fail then those who appointed him know what to do but in all honesty Rohr hasn’t done badly just that we are not patient enough with him instead we resorted to unnecessary distraction by always questioning his decisions.
Oh because he did not score last time , the only time Rohr reluntantly invited him to replace Moffi who was injured. Did Ighalo score in his first outing for super eagles? or have you suddenly forgotten how woeful Ighalo performance was at the last World cup? And it was the same Rohr that started preaching to Nigerians not to crucify Ighalo and that he needed our patience and support. If Rohr deem it fit to be patient with Ighalo after the dismal performance in Russia why is he quick to axe Awoniyi after just one outing. Rem this same Ighalo captained our U20 to the World up in Egypt and could not score a single goal as our #9 before they were butted out, yet he was given all the time in the World to rebuild his confidence that led to the goals he scored before retiring. There is no National team coach in the World who knows what he is doing that will drop
an Awoniyi why prepairing for a major tournament
It is only in Nigeria that club form is not The Same as national team form………In other countries it is the players that lead in their various clubs that lead the national team but in Nigeria it’s different which shows you that there is something fundamentally wrong with Nigeria…….Give Awoniyi just 30 minutes in a game in which we where playing against a team that is parked then use it to judge Awoniyi and cast him away to creat chance to accommodate low profile players who don’t have any pedigree at club level…….How would the national team profile increase then?……Smh
I can see you didn’t watch the match against CAR but you are quick to pass judgement on Rohr. That’s typical of the likes of you guys who cannot afford the cost of enough data to watch a full live-streamed matches but only ran to watch the 6 minutes highlights, then rush to CSN forum to write a lengthy uninformed comments.
Awoniyi was introduced at halftime for injured Iheanacho, played for 50 mins in total, has nothing less than 5 clear chances including an open net where the goalkeeper has been displaced only for him to hit his shot at an onrushing defender in the 6 yard box. Same Awoniyi has been playing in the National team set up since 2013, did well in 2013 U-17 WC but never fared well in the U-20 and U-23 set up where Osimhen played only 1 match but outshined him in the make or break Qualifier against Libya scoring a hat-trick while Awoniyi only managed a paltry 1 goal in all Qualifier matches and only 1 goal in the Tournament proper, failing to get out of the group stage.
Not disregarding the fact that he is now a much improved striker this season but it will be a gamble to entrust him with these 2 upcoming important matches. He will definitely have his chance to prove to Rohr that he’s dependable and ready during pre-Afcon friendlies and camping. For now, Ighalo is tested and trusted with experience and ruggedity and will be a fitting strike partner to Osimhen ahead of an inconsistent clownish Iheanacho.
Dennis on the other hand needs to work on his attitude for him to find happiness in any team he plays for, constant squabbles with coaches (Brugge, FC Koln, Watford recently sacked coach, Nigeria U-23 coach Amapakabo, Rohr in SE) will not do his career any good. People who loves him should rather advice him better on this rather than coming to this forum agitated and irritable each time he was overlooked on invitation.
@Ugo Iwunze in particular has been a nuisance on this forum in the past few days after the list was released, now I only scroll past his comments without reading any jargons he wrote.
I watch every match SE plays and I don’t miss I single second of it…….I wish I can turn my back at SE like most Nigerians have done but I just can’t……..it will be very unfair to judge Awoniyi with that single game and forgive an Ighalo for that missed chance against Argentina at the WC……..How will Awoniyi learn and become a star for the National team tomorrow?………I have heard you guys give such excuses to keep Osimhen out of the starting lineup then at the last Afcon inorder to keep Ighalo there but today osimhen is our savior…….. Osimhen was frozen away from the team and only got his chance at the third place final because almighty Ighalo was injured, imagine………Why do we always look for excuses to keep the young and talented Players away from the team?
@Akp, Ighalo has surely earned his forgiveness after the 2018 WC by becoming the highest goal scorer in both the AFCON Qualifier and AFCON 2019 Tournament in Egypt. Why are you such an unforgiving person @Akp, he has atoned for his WC sin completely because without his goals, we might have not been able to qualify for AFCON 2019 in the first place.
Do you remember how we lost 2:0 to South Africa in Uyo during the first match of that Qualifier because Rohr entrusted the match to the young Osimhen and company (Awaizem and Omeruo fumbled in that game). The attack in that match was very flat and appalling, Then he brought back Ighalo and the Oyinbo wall and we cruised to qualify with victories home and away in the remaining matches except a 1:1 draw away in South Africa (which we should’ve won by 3:1 but the referee robbed us with a wrong offside call on 2 occasions)
So my brother, learn to be wholistic in your assertions and never use an isolated incidence to judge. After all Ighalo was not the only one culpable in the match against Argentina, Victor Moses refused to track back to prevent Dojo’s winner 4 mins to the end, we could’ve qualified if we were able to maintain the 1:1 draw.
**…..Rojo’s winner**
That’s not true Osimhen did not play in that game we lost to South Africa 2-0. Iheanacho led the attack go back and look at the line up. Don’t misinform people here just to buttress your point.
And what is your basis for trying to compare a team of 2017 to 2021 is Awaziem still the same to you or is Osimhen if 2017 the same now? Bring up all types of rubbish past analysis to justify Ighalo’s inclusion.
@footballfanatic that’s a lie, Osimhen was a second half substitute for Simon in that match, do your research properly.
And mind you, your understanding of my narrative is faulty, am not comparing individual performance of 2017 with 2021, it was a narrative that you don’t throw greenhorns into the fray of a very important / a must win match (Awaziem, Kayode and Osimhen were greenhorns at that time). We got away with that because it was the 1st match of the qualifying series but you can’t do that in these last 2 matches that will decide our fate of qualification. Surely Awoniyi and Dennis can wait guys.
@Footballfanatic. There’s nothing rubbish in what Dr. Banks said. Osimhen was in the team for that first loss to SA in Uyo. I don’t see any issue in having Ighalo in the team for an important WorldCup qualifiers. Andre Ayew plays in Saudi Arabia and he’s still the captain of the Black Stars. Asamoah Gyan played his best football for Ghana when he was playing in UAE. Ighalo’s experience is needed at this time.
If you watch the match then why did you say Awoniyi only played for 30 mins against CAR?
@Dr Bank, you are the man. Thank you for well seasoned comments. Nigeria has 200 million coaches. Enjoy your weekend everybody. In the 80s here in
South West Florida.
Guy you lied! Conspicuously you lied here and I don’t think you need it in order to support your motion of “ighalo in and Awoniyi out..”
I challenge you to post your own version of the video where Awoniyi missed 5clear-cut chances in that match!
You have forgotten the fact that 1-10ighalo matches in the colour of super eagles of Nigeria, ighalo goals were not more than 3 and they were all penalties!
I am done with the fact that ighalo was selected ahead of other deserving strikers but we don’t need to lie about the circumstances surrounded with his called up. Did you know that ighalo retired willingly without being forced out?
Habba! Nawao!
Nobody is blaming Awoniyi here because we understand inexperience made him to fluffed that chance. We knew with time he will come of age and be an important player just like Oshimen in SE now. But it’s you guys who are doing as if this guy is a messiah.Some were even crying over Dennis when report has it that he is arrogant. Which coach will ever want such a players around his team when there are abundant options available. @Ugo,Jimmyball etc.. u can continue to wail till thy kingdom come over Rohr list it doesn’t change anything
@Akp,
Save yourself headache and move ahead on this Ighalo invitation controversy.
If the longest ever serving coach cannot find solutions to the creative middfiled department and goalkeeping which are the weakest section in the Super eagles coupled with the lack of playing pattern for the past 5 years plus ; then you no one needs oracle to tell you that Oga Rohr cannot give what he does not have.
Oga Rohr is not given himself headache on how to move Super eagles forward after all does his employer NFF cares to move Nigerian forward, otherwise, they wouldn’t have compounded Oga Rohr deficiencies with backlog of unpaid salary, also with weak technical assistants, plus forcing Amaju Pinick & co involving in players selection.
Nigerian football is definitely the looser at the end of the day , because Oga Rohr has nothing to loose , for the next one year plus he will continue to take his awufu (bonus ) pay while the bonanza last and augment himself with any players that have enough cash to help a Coach that his employer are not paying regularly. Oga Rohr knows Super Eagles os his last job in Africa as his technical deficiencies have been exposed severally in lesser African teams he has handled ; with Super Eagles exposing him the more , particularly with Algeria local National team Coach Belmadi that has not stopped to tutoring our so called Foreign Technical Adviser .
With all the way Oga Rohr was humiliated during contract extension with his current sorry situation of the same of our local coaches treatment of backlog of unpaid salary plus players influences by NFF ; has any serious football nation in lower african football playing nation checking out on the availability of Oga Rohr let alone European countries?
@De star I support Rhor 100 percent and I want him to stay incharge…….But his players selection is sometimes suspect and that is purely due to the Nigerians surrounding him……Rhor has only been able to grind out results due to his organisational qualities which is why I still back him to continue……Rhor needs SE and SE needs him but the powers that be are always lurking around Nigerian Football……..Rhor has become a politician because he needs to balance alot of factors to stay in the Job and so far he has done it perfectly well…….. Nigeria is very complicated and we are all seeing it play out…….Rhor knows what to do,he knows the talented players and he knows how to use them but he has to balance up some Nigerian equations……..If we sack Rhor now,we will plunge the whole football environment into cheos and some fellows benefit from such disasters…….. You see we are stuck with Rhor at least till after the WC but I will never stop criticizing foul play when I see it because bad things happen when good people keep silent.
@Akp;
I love what you just wrote up here. See anyone expecting our football, Basketball, Boxing or any sport at that to soar at the moment is just leaving in Alice Wonderland. Does our sport sector exist in space somewhere outside of the corruption ridden space we have found ourselves at the moment? The answer is uppercase NO; Sports will function only and when the macro space (Nigeria) within which it exists function as well.
I was day-dreaming some days back when I was watching Ajax play and I was really impressed with the humongous amount of work that Eric Ten Haag of a guy is doing with Ajax (Ajax is a selling club and year in, year out the guy has always managed to play good football with relatively unknown quantities), in my dream land I was like why can’t we have a coach of this quality as SE’s coach (believe me that was even more than wishful thinking if you ask me considering the mess we have on ground at the moment within our football structures).
As per Gernot Rorh becoming involved with the Nigerian internalized politics, Baba, I bet you cannot blame the man I swear, there are so many hyenas lurking everywhere ready to make life unbearable for him, I know the guy is just buying time before he calls it quit, maybe sometime after the world cup, it may even be before.
Westerhof during his reign as SE’s coach understood the Nigerian factor so much so that, he had a god-father in the then Vice President, Aikhomu who had his back for most of his time as the gaffer.
The guy became so Nigerian that he even worked in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Personally, I have nothing but respect for the guy (GR) for even having the balls to take up the challenge of coaching our beloved SE back then in 2016 at a time we were at our lowest ebb, a period when coaches avoided us like a plague, Paul Le Guen readily comes to mind here.
@Akp; the summary for me is that the state of our football and by extension our sports in general is just a reflection of the larger entity called Nigeria.
May God help us and heal our land
Talk about how biased completesports is. They didn’t report about Dessers scoring against Awoniyi’ Union Berlin in the Europa conference league…… Corrup journalists. If it was some Saudi Arabia based guy they will even report about the music he listens to….lol
He who pays the Piper dictates the tune
@Dr banks we have forgiven Ighalo but he should go and sin no more……. we have seen enough of him both the good the bad and the urgly hence he should have just stayed in retirement…….Buy Awoniyi’s case is different…… you can’t just judge a player and dismiss him on his debut…… Awoniyi is young and we have not seen enough of him yet…….We only saw a little of him and we are eager to see what he can offer because he has a whole future ahead of him.
NFF is so incompetent its a shame. Nothing actually works in Nigeria at this point. Take away the foreign based players playing for us and you will see how low our football is becoming except for the likes of Osimhen and Iheanacho. The Canadian FA stated that Nigeria’s sluggishness in filling Ike Ugbo’s papers helped in snatching right under our nose.
I knew there was something wrong when the likes of Morocco, Algeria, Ivory coast, and senegal had their players nationality switch easily and speedily processed but when it comes to Nigeria its always some issues. Look how long it is taking Lookman, Ejaria, and others always some stories with this NFF. Politicians or people with a history in politics should be barred from running for any NFF positions. AMAJU YOU ARE A DISGRACE AND A FRAUD. Nationality switch is not done on social media or with pictures you idiot!
My brother, I mean it is really shameful that it takes forever for the NFF to close nationality switch for these guys while other serious nations just go about it very quietly, efficiently, professionally and voila the next thing you hear is a welcome message on their FA’s twitter handle. For our own clime here, na to dey take pictures upandan, yeye journalists sef dem go dey report #LoriIro, for the young men to get Nigerian passport sef na another gbege (If booklet no finish, na the Malaysian Coy wey dey print am go get contractual issues with the FG), haba! who do us like this for this country nah. Simple admin things all of a sudden become rocket science.
#AmReallySadWalahi
Bro the journalists are part of the problem. They never use the tools they have to dig for the truth as they are the ones that can actually tell us who is in the process of switching or not by using their investigative skill which is part of journalism but n so so copy and paste which is just pure lazy journalism.
If Ighalo scores and save Nigeria from any of the matches many will forget, i stand by my word, Jude Ighalo shouldn’t be in this set up, and he has long retired, the build up team bonding with these fantastic youth would have been inspiring, to hell with experience, it has nothing to do here, the coach is the experience, but Amaju decided to tell us he is the boss, also Etebo is rushing himself back from injury, even if he comes back now which common sense club will play him quick, its only in Nigeria, they rush them, Etebo stay fit then you can come back, forget the african cup of nations, Amaju is telling him to quick as well.
For whatever reason, Amaju should tell Etebo not to get well quick, is there any sense in that?
Amaju though not loud, is working:
https://www.thenff.com/tag/coaching-course/
All I know be say God no go shame Ighalo and Mr Rohr..rather na the other way round to all their enemies..I have taken record of the names that are not in support of ighalo’s return and those who are in support so that at the end we go know who shame go catch. But as for me and my household we are in support of his return…
I heard Peak Milk or whatever he is called is planning to elongate his current tenure and also vie for another tenure. I don’t know the politics, processes or procedures involved in NFF president election, but I’m really appealing to members of this forum that we have to find a way and mobilise and make sure that this man doesn’t stay any extra day after the expiration of his current tenure. This is because he is really running Nigeria football aground. Under his reign, rumours of corruption has really soared higher than a super eagle; we are losing players to other countries, left, right and centre; player’s switch takes almost a lifetime; Not even a single good pitch in Nigeria; coaches and players don’t get paid; NFF being run like a secret cult, etc. Apart from bragging about paying salary arrears to coaches and players, taking pictures and boasting about convincing a foreign born player to switch nationality, there is no information at all from the glass house to update the fans and even the country about the goings-on in Nigerian football. As a consequence, the fans have so long groped in the dark. A lot of questions remains unaswered. For instance, what is the true position of Nigeria about Olise, Ejaria, etc. We can’t be relying on speculations from newspapers and magazines. NFF should have a monthly or quarterly publication or report where information on a number of important football issues are released to the masses.
To make an already bad matter worse, Peak Milk’s utterances in interviews and posts on social media cut him out as narcissist. His interviews and posts are more of boasting than substance. He had bragged about foisting Musa on SE, meeting SE players at half time against CV,amongst other similar utterances. Sometimes I wonder if he is the coach of SE or Assistant.
In all these, the worst of it all is the rumours and insinuations that he is very corrupt. I don’t know how true the rumours are, but, it was the major factor that discouraged me when I wanted to support SE in my own little way last year. A couple of persons I told about my intention, discouraged me. They believed any support I send down, will go to private personal pockets.
Unlike some of us who support Chelsea, Liverpool, etc., SE is all I have got. SE is the only team I support. Really, no match interest me as much as SE’s. I’m that patriotic….lol. Please lets do all we can to restore the lost glory of the NFF and as a consequence, SE. Thank You
Amaju Pinnick’s handiwork.
https://www.completesports.com/ufc-president-usmans-best-ever-welterweight-of-all-time/
@Ocherome Mma, see Amaju Pinnick not peak milk.
https://dailytrust.com/stakeholders-agenda-for-pinnick-after-triumphant-entry-into-fifa-council
Coach rohr did well to invite ighalo, becos like i have aways said National team is not an accademy, its not a priority to bread Players, its our highest level of football representation, no matter The age or club u present. fifa dont care, caf dont Care, The Golden cup dont Care, and our emotions dont play the Ball. we shouldnt be emotional about it, awoniyi is 50 miles behind ighalo, iheanacho is still not consistent doesnt have strong holding of the Ball,it is Good for him to come in for ighalo in 60 to 70 minut of strong games, The Striker rohr is missing is sadiq, sadiq can give ighalo and osimhen Good Challenge, we Saw him at The olympics he is a National team genius, rohr should pik these four strikers for worldcup and afcon, osihmen,ighalo,sadiq,and iheanacho The likes of unuachu, moffi,and awoniyi should concentrate on club level. They are not capable for now, The still need perfect foot and body works. We have good deffense and wingers, ejuke, chuks, kalu, lookman. Simon and musa should just find A reason to retire.
For The midfield i want to point out that aribo is been overated, he is not Creative and doesnt provide key passes i dont kno why you guys are shy to call him out, The reason will lack style is bcos aribo, doesnt dictate any style, however he is very Good Player, skillfull and finishes well, he can be a good 8, or left winger i belive he can do Better than moses Simon who is another confused Player, The midfield needs a Creative passer of the Ball, if rohr is not sure of holiseh and ejiara, he should start grooming nwakali and nwobodo these are the best options for that role one of them can replace iwobi or aribo in secondhalf, aribo is not good enough ten and he is The reason why we dont creat much chances i even prefer etebo to him, but i think he will outplace iheanacho if he compete number 8 position, iheanacho is still confused.
Expected formation for wcup qualifier is 442
Okoye
Awaziem ekong balogun said
Chuks ndidi aribo iwobi
Osimhen ighalo.