Ighalo Eyes 1st EPL Goal For United; Targets Club’s Highest Scoring African Record

Odion Ighalo will be looking to break his goal duck in the Premier League for Manchester United who play host to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in their season restart.

The Nigerian forward has scored four goals in eight appearances across all competitions so far for United including at least one strike in each of his three starts against Club Brugge, Derby County (2) and LASK.

Despite his impressive goalscoring record for the Red Devils, Ighalo is yet to find the back of the net after making four appearances in the English top flight.

On the other hand, the 31-year-old is in line to surpass the goal tally of retired South African star, Quinton Fortune for Manchester United with the Nigerian hitman having already become the second best African signing at Old Trafford.

Ighalo in January became the first Nigerian player in Man United history and the seventh representing the whole of Africa, a continent where the club has long drawn much loyal support.

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United’s first African player, Fortune who joined from Atletico Madrid in August 1999 went on to score 11 goals in 126 overall appearances during his seven-year spell at Old Trafford,

United, meanwhile, agreed with Chinese Super League club, Shanghai Greenland Shenhua to extend the loan deal for Ighalo. The attacker’s stay was initially due to end on 31 May.

But the former Super Eagles forward will now remain with the Red Devils until 31 January, 2021, enabling him to build on an impressive start to life with the club he supported as a boy.

Also with his new deal until January of next year, Ighalo has been given the opportunity to become the highest scoring African player for United as he needs seven more goals to equal Fortune’s tally.

But with Ighalo having been known to be a prolific striker, it is very much possible for the Ajegunle-born attacker to go ahead and even score as many as eight goals more to become United’s highest scoring African player.

By Oluyemi Ogunseyin