Former England international, John Fashanu has admonished Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr to work with the current crop of players in his disposal than to recall Odion Ighalo to the senior national team.
Ighalo retired from the Super Eagles after the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, where he finished as the top scorer of the competition.
Though reports in the media have suggested that Ighalo could be recalled to the Super Eagles, however, Fashanu has kicked against such a move by the German tactician.
In an interview with an online media, Fashanu stated that recalling Ighalo back to the team may be to the disadvantage of the younger players regardless of his experience.
“The only thing Ighalo has to offer to the national team is his experience, it is not his ability because there are players who are far better than him and we know that.
“If Rohr wants to bring him in because he stabilises the squad, it is fine. I remember when I was in my 30s and the manager kept bringing me back, it wasn’t because I was a great player but I gave the team confidence. And that might also be the reason why Rohr wants to bring him back but other than that his time is gone.
“Ighalo is in his 30s and in Nigeria we have fantastic prospects that are fighting to get that spot but not all of them can make the squad.
‘If you keep playing the older players it is at the detriment of the younger players. It is high time we start seeing 17, 18-year-old geniuses in the national team. “Where there is no talent the coach may consider bringing him back but there are so many talents and it would be very wrong to bring him back at this stage.”
By Augustine Akhilomen
20 Comments
John Fashanu… Thank you so much. This was how I raised alarm the first time our Coach… ROHR shared the intention to have Odion Ighalo recalled… haba, that’s like trying to move forward while facing backwards. Then, some chieftain of CSN called me out that I was making noise for nothing… that I was being loud for something the gaffer said without real intent in answering a direct question posed to him during an interview. How can you be having players like Simy, Sadiq, Moffi, Iheanacho, Onuachu, Ugbo, Awoniyi, and Osimhen playing at an elite level and doing well and still talking about going back to an Ighalo who was ridiculed and seriously disrespected at Manchester United recently for not being able to truly convince… though, he was hardly given the confidence by Solksjaer. This makes the second time Rohr will revisit the Ighalo needless flirtation… the man told Nigerians he is done, that he has retired. If it’s Victor Moses, big game player to come and mentor Chukwueze on that right flank we would not even talk… Abeg make we face front joor!
@ Jimmyball, while I commend your very good reasoning in some football issues, I herein wanna plead with you to try resists the ( I said this, I said that n some people said no… ); It just takes the beauty away from your positive contribution. Few of us said same, why others who didn’t may have good reasons why they didn’t. Just individual opinions where upon the Gaffers still has the final say, good or bad. I read you alot and that ‘I said this,I said that’,painfully, albeit unintentionally, gives you away as one on an ego’s trip, which I know you are not.
@Glory… Thanks for the advice. Whenever I see a solid argument and opinion, whether it’s from someone on frequent deliberate attrition with my views or one who often shares same views, or another who only occasionally criticizes me… I always first register a “like” for their comment(s) and add a positive voice. But some of our friends here will attack you before even taking time to allow their minds work deep analyses of your comments. When I make off comments I often accept when someone checks me on some other perspective… but it hurts when you think you have made a fair comment that also considers and embellish some balance on possible counter views also… but you get shoot down even before one finishes correcting his own initial typos… I mentioned Junior Ajayi just like Amuneke, when Iheanacho was wasting on bench with annoying frustration for the player and 9ja fans like most of us who know his true worth. Then there was no concrete talk of our likely foreign born whose switches are now almost through… then it was because the likes of Eberechi Eze, Musiala, Madueke, Phillip Billing and even Michael Obafemi were all using to catch cruise… now you won’t hear me talk of Junior Ajayi because obviously there is no need even though he is a very good player to me. Onuachu matter… I held the line and fort for him for as long as needed before his plunder became too much for everyone, mostly especially archers will quiver full of arrows shooting him from vintage but uninformed positions started backing down… lol. I have seen Iwuala and ticked him a five start as the next two years will surely prove… I said given game time and at most two more years Kelechi Nwakali will be ready… in his case the good news is already filtering in. I said Ighalo has seen better days and need to now play for his future at clubs only… I agree, not all my views are popular and I may sound annoying atimes but for all the instances mentioned above that may appear I want to project myself as some sort of football oracle… I was attacked. I repect a lot of views here and individuals, even those from individuals who from time to time, clash with me here based purely on divergent opinions… This is why if an authority later come to push the same line of thought for which I have been smacked before… the validation humbles one that making reference to what one said before becomes a reflex. I love this forum and I appreciate the views of all respecting the contributors even then we may poke each other from time to time… I believe it is this comraderie that has kept all of glued and yoked together on this forum. I learn a lot from most people here including you @GLORY and for me it’s all fun even the fights and insults… Lol. We know ourselves as Nigerians! Long live Nigeria(if God say make we still remain one unit), long live Super Eagles… and long live the beautiful game of football in the form we enjoy it today… May all our players continue to make us proud… and may God give NFF chiefs better forsight and heart to continue to do what is right at the most proper time! One love… JimmyBall salute all!
You one of those I look out to read from here, but bros try they shorten this long write up, he too long for reading, I will prefer you sending it twice. You valid though.
@Femi… Advice taken. No mind me for the long epistle. Wetin Kelechi Iheanacho do me last night still the sweet my belle… lol.
JimmyBall
There’s no “footballing” reason why Ighalo should come back. The man voluntarily retired from the national team and his office has been taken by very capable players. Rohr should focus on finding a capable replacement for Ndidi.
Ighalo wants to make fun of himself. Truly and with all respect, I’d like to advise our players to educate themselves, if not formally, but informally. What marks a man as great? Knowing that you can’t achieve everything yourself, but that you must give your lieutenants the chance to acquire skills and push your own agenda forwards. Here is a man who was unjustly treated, whose family was threatened, and who was abused by irate soccer fans for missing a goal or two. He humbly stuck on and left the scene as a hero in the last AFCON, even if we didn’t lift the gold.
Does he want to come back to mess up his name? Why can’t Rohr shake off his affinity for Ighalo and strengthen his team in all departments?
Jimmyball you are very right at the first submission about Rohr going for someone who will help mentor Chukwueze to up his end product than an Ighalo. We have players far far better than him at the moment as Dr Simone and koyerinde will say. Ighalo and Yakubu his elder brother should go and start their academy and leave the national team alone.
The talk of bringing 17years reminds me of Akinkumi Amoo and some of his other colleagues. I term them little geniuses I hope to see this lads in the SE in the nearest future.
Masterfully put @ Jimmyball. Thumbs up man. Truth is, we in this forum may not have a clue of who n who visit this forum on regular basis. On few occasions, I have managed to run into non nigerians; South Africans, Brazilian, Ghanians talking about how knowledgeable/passionate Nigerian football fans can be,even mentioning some forumites names, wherein they nicknamed one here as Football database lol, another as lyrically Football etc which left me totally amazed. This forum is steadily becoming the converging nest to ease off the daily stress at work not only to nigerians but to a larger extent, football fans worldwide. Let’s just continue the good work. Throw up the occasional banter grime n when someone is about getting hurt, pause and apologize, cos then it’s not worth hurting anyone’s person all because of football matter.
The whole world know Nigerians to be football loving nation, and CSN is sure the place to learn, I proud myself as a good soccer loving genius not until I met some dude here, Glory,Jimmy,Collins,Lanre,pompeo, UBF and many others, ahahaha how do I even forget oga patapata of them all, the trouble maker of CSN. Dr Drey. I salute you all.
@CSN… Coach Rohr and all the Nigerian Super Eagles players frequent this forum. Rohr feels the pulses of the SE fanbase here.
Iheanacho and osihmen reminds me of suarez and cavani, one was in napoli while the other was in liverpool. Both of them did so well with uroguay. They won back to back continental titles and reached the world cup semi; if this was possible with uroguay then it is surely possible for naija to achieve in the nearest future, musa will add that Diego forlan experience to the eagles and we still have the wings advantage that uroguay never had, though uroguay had a solid midfield I also think our midfield is getting to that level ndidi is there already just hoping to see etebo folows.
I like to compare us to teams that have tasted victories in world level it gives me alot hope when I realized we are getting stronger than some of them.
I said this when the news first came out why Ighalo again?
He has tried his very best for Nigeria and we all appreciated his effort.
Why the coach still thinking about Ighalo at this stage is what I don’t know.
We may have a team that every one of us can be proud of at the moment but do you think the gaffer can use the team to win any trophy the way he sounds?
It is going to be a big mistake if NFF refused to hire another coach to support Oga Rohr before Afcon tournament in Cameroon.
We saw what went wrong in Russia and in Egypt so by now, if NFF can not bring in Mr. Eguavoen then, they should bring in Mr. Manu Garba to compliments Oga Rohr’s efforts.
But leaving Oga Rohr alone in charge of the team, I don’t want the repeat of Russia and Afcon scenarios.
Moreover, we should also thank Mr. Fashanu for seeing this happening.
Without Ighalo, our young team qualified Nigeria to another Afcon tournament.
He doesn’t believe in his young strikers but we the patriotic Nigerians believe so much in the entire team. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
What makes u more patriotic than any other person on this forum? Always talking out point, spewing garbage and nonsense all the time? In fact, you’re an enemy of the state with your nagative backward way of thinking.
Oakfield, responding to that man is like hitting olumo rock with bear hands, nothing will happen to the rock.
If you castigate him from now till tomorrow, he won’t still change, his brain is permanently set on auto reverse.
No be lie……
@Oakfield and co, before you castigating me, think and think.
I don’t talk because other talk.
Did you people hear the latest news from Oga Rohr?
I will keep enlightening you and I hope you see the light soon before it is too late. God bless Nigeria!!!
Nigeria football association is forcing ighalo to Rohr, NFF should leave this man alone to pick his players. you have enough strikers, why igjalo and musa?
Even if what you’re saying made sense i here by shun you
Like how can an ex england player have a say on whats going on in the super eagles
Why would he be brought back in the first place, he’s past his prime and he’s just playing to some more dough before he retires we have kids who are hot in Europe that merit that chance, people like Leon and ekong can manage the kids with their experience and they will do fantastically very in the coming competitions….