Odion Ighalo has dismissed the criticism of fans who are unhappy about his coming out of retirement, reports Completesports.com.
Ighalo retired from international football after the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
The forward finished as competition’s top scorer with the Super Eagles claiming third position.
The 32-year-old however make his return in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Cape Verde last year.
Ighalo was included in Nigeria’s squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, but was not relased by his former Saudi Arabia Professional Football League club Al Shabab.
Read Also: 2022 WCQ:’Why I’m Still Important For Super Eagles’ —Onazi
The former Watfotd player was named in the 32-man provisional squad for the World Cup playoff against Ghana on Thursday.
Many have criticised the decision of the interim technical adviser Austine Eguavoen to include him in the squad but Ighalo is unfazed about the uproar.
“I don’t pay attention to that,” he told ESPN.
“Everything they’re saying is their own cup of tea. At my age, I just signed to a new team. This is my 11th team in my professional career.
“I have been called up, I will take my bag and I will go to represent my country and give my best on 100%.
“As long as I come out from every game and I’m satisfied with my performance — whether it is a win, loss, or draw — then that’s it. I’m a professional footballer. This is what I’ve been doing for 17-18 years so why would I be worried about what people say?”
35 Comments
The time you said you were ready to play for your fatherland with bare body, that was when we knew your loyalty is to Nigeria. Good luck as your fans can’t wait to see you in the green and white jersey. God bless Nigerians.
Odion will start from the bench, maybe in the second leg.
Better and more agile strikers will face Ghana for SE. Period!
It doesn’t matter who coach Eguavoen plays, I just want to see goals against the Black Stars. Seeing Odion on CSN makes Nigerians happy. Enjoy your week!
BABA carry on jooh!! Don’t mind all those critics with their noodles brain.. LMFAO!!!
Once a committed player talks, you immediately understand. Odion Ighalo, there’s no criticism whatsoever, it only goes to show that you were missed during the nation’s cup. Good to have you back.
Odion, just tell us you guys are defeating the black stars. Up Super Eagles.
Whether they like it or yes, you and OSIGOAL will be spearheading the attack.
I’m just counting days to the match. Leggo eagles!!!
Blasting critics shows how delusional you are..The only way to show that you really deserve a place in the national team is to move to Europe and play among the best…
Onuachu won the golden boot in Belgium and he is still scoring in Europe.. He has scored more goals than you have ever done in your career..
Awoniyi is better than you, 15 goals in 32 matches against top oppositions in Europe is no fluke.. His 1 goal 1 assist in his first 3 starts is better than your first 10 starts for SE.
You need to stop fooling yourself and stop thinking that the SE needs you.
Ehya, sorry sadeast.
LMFAO!!Really a sadeast I tell you.. LMFAO!
The end shall tell
Like it is about Ighalo here, and or is Onuachu still a national footballer? Ghana here the SE comes!!!
Ighalo has already responded to you. All this ranting is your own cup of tea. Deal with it.
@Larry you are such a delusional saddist, may God help you
@Larry: So if you were in his shoes, you would have said something like ‘I enjoy every bit of your criticisms. please keep it up’ What exactly has he said wrong here? I am not even sure you read the content, you only saw the headline and rushed here to post a comment.
Apart from talking about Odion’s critics who are basically some few jealous individuals, Eguavoen should effect changes in the personnels he deployed in Cameroon. The alteration should be such that we should be having at least a 30% change. The game against Ghana will be won with the formation the coach is able to come up with. Good luck Odion, God bless Nigeria.
@Larry, my brother just chill grab ur popcorn and relax Ghana match will expose them all. These People invited onazi Saudi division 2 player, then wtf we talking about. Let onazi and Ighalo continue to insult critics it’s ok, I just wish he uses same energy to silence critics in Ghana and Abuja.
This is what you get when you don’t know when to quit. Nigerians doesn’t talk any how, they must have seen something wrong on the list before they pointed out your name.
You have done your best in the past and you were fortunate to be the highest goal scorer in Egypt few years back at the Afcon.
What else do you want to do at the national team? We have Dessers the goal machine of our time, we have Osimhen, Onuachu, Kayode, Nwkaeme, why you again?
If the coaches and Amaju/NFF go by what they saw in the match you played against Cape Verde in Lagos, you don’t serve to be in the Super Eagles again. Don’t be selfish ooje. Give the young strikers a chance to play.
You won’t be missed because we have Dessers available to do the job. Please stay away from Super Eagles period. God bless Nigeria!!!
Lol!. but I do know Tony Nwkaeme is older than Odion Ighalo.
They never listen. Instead, they buy into what idiots like Picnic and Dare tell them and believe the Nations football fate evolves around them.
Wise man one said: A great actor leaves the stage when the applause is loudest. The foolish man remains on stage till the boo birds come out.
He had his moment when the applause was loudest. He has decided to selfishly remain on the stage, when he should have left it.
Well…
I have met some of these guys one on one. Ighalo specifically not once but twice. And we spoke for a lengthy time.
I even watched him train(light training) at his residence on one of the occasions.
One was when he came to lunch his ophanage home.
The other he came for the Ajegunle vibes and Award Nite.
So I know what he is capable of.
I laff when I hear trashy comments from people who don’t know what he is capable of.. judging him with the Nig vs cape Verde game and maybe the 2018 world cup.
Knowing the round leather game alone is not enuf. You need to know the personalities kicking the round leather.
Dude is a retirement league.
In the crucial CPV match (when he was touted as the ‘savior’), he was anything but. Lethargic, slow, completely out of place were the descriptors for his performance.
Spare us the hype, please. We have seen this script play out in the past, from Christian Chukwu in 1982 (vs. Algeria) to Kanu Nwankwo. Ighalo is past it!
Lol!. but I do know Tony Nwkaeme is older than Odion Ighalo.
Very well. But omo ighalo is old o.. LMFAO!! He is just blessed with that baby face.. LMFAO!!
You are such a retard @ Nosa, so you know about team chemistry but wants a player with no competitive cap to be invited for an important make or mar match against Ghana? And most importantly one that is only coming back from injury? Do you know that Dessers hasn’t played a match after AFCON until this weekend when he came in from the bench to score?
You be mumu extraordinaire to call Ighalo “a retired and sluggish with a big butt who plays in Saudi”. He has scored 15 goals this season and even changed club but still banging in goals in his new team irrespective of your so called team chemistry problem. He was the highest goal scorer in AFCON 2019 (also in the qualifier) despite playing in China at that time, same Ighalo is the only Nigerian player to have played and scored regularly every time he started a match in Almighty Manchester United, you think that is a fluke?
Yeye guy like you who knows zero about football just dey talk rubbish, you think you can buy experience from the market. Osimhen was a rookie during the last AFCON 2019 and still learning then, Rohr showed his prowess at identifying potentials and invited him to AFCON 2019 to understudy experienced strikers and now we are reaping the result but nonentity like you can come here to castigate Rohr for doing that, after all same Ighalo did a great job back then.
You said my “Dr” is questionable, that further buttress the point that you have a deranged medulla oblongata because no one in his right sense should question a doctor based on his comment on CSN.
Useless junkie like you have no place on this forum of intellectuals
You@Banks are a demented fake native doctor! Did I ever mention Dessers in my comments? Sycophant. Oh so Osimhen suddenly garnered 5 years experience after the 2019 AFCON from the bench when he hit the ground running at Lille. I have told you before, you are a hypocrite.
What is Ighalo coming to do in SE again that Osimhen, Iheanacho, Dennis, Onuachu, Umar, Awoniyi et al. cannot offer X2???
Nigerians, say the truth you become an enemy of progress, jealous, bitter etc. Time will tell u guts don’t listen. Eguavon has started using the SE to help careers. Onazi and Etebo that jusy recovered from injury with no match yet in the epl is coming to to the SE, such can only happen in Nigeria
Some Nigerians won’t allow this guy to rest, that’s the problem.
I am not surprised, at an Interview yesterday Coach Eguaveon opened His mouth and said he does not know if Onazi still Has what it takes to perform at Super Eagles level, but he just put his name ON STAND BY to pacify some people. This shows that the man is under serious pressure, that obviously cannot happen with a foreign coach.
Thanks brother when you seen Sodiq Umar on normal list and seen Taiwo awoniyi on standby it showed that pressure is much.
It’s the size of your brain…lol. What’s serious pressure?
Dem dey call am I must comment to abuse amunike Oga.
WHEN THE OVATION IS LOUD,IT IS BETTER FOR PLAYER TO QUIT. BUT YOU ARE A COVETOUS PLAYER. WHAT ARE YOU STILL LOOKING FOR IN SUPER EAGLE. WHICH HELP DO YOU WANT TO OFFER THE TEAM AGAIN. THE PLAYERS ARE BANGING GOALS, NOBODY MISSED YOU. PLEASE GIVE THE YOUNGERS PLAYERS CHANCE. NO MATTER WHAT RONALDO-MESSI ARE PLAYING TODAY, THEY CAN NEVER BE LIKE BEFORE.
IGHALO, DON’T DECIEVE YOURSELF. YOU CAN NEVER BE IGHALO OF 2018/2019.
GO, PLS GO.
Our Ighalo is on. No Onaze and No Etebo. No basket.