Former Nigerian forward, Victor Ikpeba has kicked against the return of Odion Ighalo to the Super Eagles squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Liberia and Cape Verde respectively.
Ikpeba made this known on Monday Night Football Show on Supersports, where he queried the decision of Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr to invite Ighalo to the squad.
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.
He however, believed Ighalo will get the necessary services from Alex Iwobi.
“I don’t really like the invitation of Ighalo to the Super Eagles. I want to believe that the coach knows why they have recall him to the team even when he has not given any response so far.
“Well, it could be a mind games. However, the return of Alex Iwobi to the Super Eagles will provide the necessary assist for him.”
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Victor Ikpeba, going forward, the stage now is on session structure which includes game training session, invitation schedule (because we no longer have much time), session on warm up, training and positioning since many were called. Leave the issue of who made Rohr list behind because that has already been dealt with.
Amen…
Idiot spammer leave this page.
@oseodion, I wonder. Ikpeba didn’t even suggest anyone. If our ex are serious let them give their technical inputs.
Victor Ikpeba i see you boss
nice one
Victor Ikpeba you are you afraid off you see this is the problem people with influential power not calling a spade a spade. So in one breath he is agreeing that Iwobi provides good assists. Forgetting that Iwobi was not there against CAR and Liberia to provide assist for Osimhen and Awoniyi so if Ighalo can score a goal through Iwobiniho assists, what makes Ikepba think that a Goal Banger like Awoniyi will not score a brace or hatrick if given the nod. As we know Osimhen and Iwobi destroyed Leshoto along with Chukwueze with out Ighalo if I may add. The more I think about this the more upset I get. Why can’t Ikepba just say it out right why must he come and talk rubbish at the end SMH.
Please if eventually Ighalo scores for Nigeria, please don’t count his goals amongst goals scored for Nigeria, since you hate Ighalo this much, Awoniyi had opportunity to impress Rohr in the u23, he failed to do it, Oshimen played one match , he scored hatrick in the same u23, not forgetting the open goal he missed the last time. Mind you I don’t hate Awoniyi, but he’s not needed at this crucial time.
Thank you @God’sown
This is how you guys get selective when you want to criticize our players. Ighalo did not score on his opening game for Nigeria or have you guys forgotten his woeful performance at the last World cup? Osimhen who is a very good striker have not been prolific in the National team colors , Onuachu have been in the team for some years now what impact has he made in the team as a top striker, he was at the last Afcon and he could not even cause a corner kick not to talk of scoring an off-side goal. I remember when Emenike broke into the National team, he could not score in many matches for the Super Eagles and it got so bad that he had to offer an apology through the press to all Nigerians and asked for patience, the coaches did not yank him because they knew that he was a good player , he did gradually built his confidence and started scoring. Awoniyi has nothing to prove to anyone we all know him , he is an all round striker, love him or hate him he is the 2nd highest goal scorer in the Bundesliga with 12 goals this season , haba, no right thinking coach will drop an Awoniyi from his team even if he is going to invite George Weah. Let us call a spade a spade, Rohr got this wrong,what he does not realise is that he is the problem of the team because he is technically inept. He is been with the team for about five years yet he has failed woefully to build a formidable team, all we have is a group of excellently talented footballers always playing match after match with no cohesion. The Nff need to quickly hire a technically sound assistant for Rohr just like Bonfere jo was for Westerhof otherwise …..hmmmn
It’s like Victor has been away for sometime. Everyone is looking for an opportunity to be heard and must to talk, tell us if Odion Ighalo is a good baller or not. Has he not been scoring goals as a striker? Na your I don’t support Odion’s inclusion we go chop?
There is no option than to move with Rohr. It is for the interest of our fatherland, Nigeria. Rohr deservehs our support.
To hell with Rohr. If he likes let him be successful if he like let him fail. I ma secretly wanting this Ighalo shenanigans to come crumbling down because I know Ighalo. Very well. Against stronger teams than Liberia and Cape Verde. He cannot Cope as Algeria proves in Afcon and Argentina Proved in World Cup. Mind you I remember Kelechi and Iwobi destroying Argentina in a friendly In Russia this is the same Iheanacho who is way more imported from 2017 that some People are suggesting that Ighalo is more experienced than Loooooolll!!!!!!!!. Omo I no go lie you o dis Ighalo Matta no enter atooooooooool !!!!
* the same Iheanacho who is way more improved* another typo. pele na vex dey worry me
On social podium. Just take it easy, you will be fine.
They, ex players can even assist the coach to spy on our opponents. Nothing wrong if Ikpeba as wealthy as he is flying to Morovia to spy on the Liberia national side, then report back to NFF. That is another way to show patriotism.
Ugo, to hell with u too.In Fact burn to ashes.
@Emma Dey dere de dull yourself IGHAlO currently na basket and as for Rohr, Rohr na di biggest MUGU!!! Wey dey form as coach.. in short, Make I no talk something wey I go come later regret. I don talk my own finish for di Matta.
So painful, who do you? sorry.
Thank you Mr. Ikpeba. You are a typical Nigerian man.
This man, Ikpeba is a wise person. He’s telling us indirectly that a word is enough for the wise because we all know the kind of country we live in.
Nonetheless, only God can come to our rescue in this country because we are the problem of ourselves.
If truly we want to build this country Nigeria, it won’t take long to solve the problem of Nigeria because we have what it takes to do so but selfishness, egotism and tribalism are the main problems of this our nation.
This is the reason why Nigeria is not moving forward and no wonder anything about Nigeria will struggle and we are wondering why all our national teams are struggling?
We all know that Oga Rohr is not capable to be the coach of the Super Eagles but most of us keep supporting Mr. Rohr and Amaju Pinnick to continue.
If we qualify to the world cup and get nockout in the first round with a foriegn coach that have nothing to offer Togo, Madagascar and other smaller teams in Africa, no disrespect to these teams, not to talk of Super Eagles, the pride of Africa, I hope NFF are not deceiving themselves because we have our ex players that can do more than what the manager is offering Nigeria.
Lastly, it is not easy to say the truth, for this reason, thanks for your boldness Mr. Ikpeba. I got your message. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
I can’t believe this is happening in my country. I can’t believe Nigerians are mostly populated and led by Animals like themselves that is why they’ll see nothing alarming about a clueless coach. In this New Era oh my dear country.
https://youtu.be/8MQyF7LR_rY
IAM THE FANS OF GERNOT ROHR DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE ALWAYS INVITING FOREIGN BORN & NEWLY PLAYERS TO SUPER EAGLE. BUT WITH THE INVITATION OF IGHALO, SHOWS THAT THE COACH DOESN’T HAVE CONFIDENT IN HIS TEAM HE HAS BEEN BUILDING FOR PAST SIX YEARS.
*** IN YEAR 2002 W/CUP, SCOLARI BELIEVES IN YOUNG TEAM BY DROPPING ROMARIO(top players at the moment). AND WENT AHEAD & WIN WORLD CUP.
GERNOT ROHR, atleast you are without 5 England base top stars due to England covid-19 redlist against Cape-verde. And despite that, you still went ahead to defeat them at home. So what bringing idea of inviting IGHALO back to super eagle. What is he going to offer again. Whatever Ronaldo-Messi are playing today,they can NEVER be like before.
Rohr seems like he is being controlled sometimes..
@ Footballfanatic, you need no soothsayer to tell you Rohr has lost control. I only continue to support him because I know the problem is Nigeria’s mentality n not him, otherwise Rohr would not have been here in the first place. SO ALL WE CAN DO IS CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR SE, HOPING THE CRIMINALS BEHIND THESE NONSENSE HAPPENING TO THE ONLY SOURCE OF JOY TO NIGERIANS BE EXPOSED SOME DAY N SEVERELY PUNISHED.
Man I hope they don’t destroy the super eagles for us. This is literally the only sporting team that brings joy and unity to Nigerians right now. All aspects of our sports is going down the drain, bandits everyday on the news, youth unemployment. The list is endless.
Brother, if not for the very strong passion I have football, especially nigeria national teams, I would have totally stopped watching or even doing anything concerning football, simply because of these criminals parading themselves as football authorities or whatever. Everything about football in nigeria is gradually becoming a serious waste of time. Imagine Rohr being scared to change Musa, despite seeing he was tired in a crucial match; with a very well motivated Iwobi, who had scored against same Argentina in a friendly, being sacrificed. Is this what honestly speaking, one will waste his precious time to be watching/following?. Brother, lest not decieve ourselves with talks of versatility or experience, Musa and Shehu are in this team, only to fan the ego as well as butter the bread of some northern criminals. This is not in anyway trying to ridicule the greater percentage of brilliant minds from the north, for only an infinitesimal quantity of these lots, whether from north, south, west or east are the IDIOTS we have in this country and sad to say, they are the ones in power. This is so, because the greater percentage are ever too quick to sell their birth rights for a plate of porridge.
Musa and a Shehu getting constant invite has the echo sound of Shehu from amongst NFF member, take it or leave it. That sound reverberates all around these rubbish, happening to our darling SE. Imagine calling back a coach caught red handed, collecting bribe. What else do one need to believe, that SE is now a market place for these criminals’ supposedly ‘flourishing’ business. Lest I forget, Aigbogun of famous Sambissa jogging every morning with excitement that market is booming, with him being in charge of scouting the cash. Oh sorry scouting for talent, afterall talent as used in certain part of the bible means money.
Truth is, lots of players, evidently good to represent the country but who never get the chance, happened to have refused being signed on by those criminal powers that be, hence the reason they always get overlooked. These things lots of us know but considering the nigerian mentality, always wise to just watch as things unfold.
Footballfanatic team Nigeria has just shoot themselves on the foot with this bad decision. The problem is not the qualifiers but the main competition and my brother we know Ighalo has not changed but rather he has declined by moving over to Saudi.
Rohr please wake up Awoniyi, kalu and Sadiq should be you secret weapons ,pls coachito stop listening to Pinnick and Eguavoen these two guys are serial bribe takers, inviting Ighalo, Musa, and onuachu was just a waste of space these three leftovers has nothing new to over. Pls Rohr stop hustling backwards.
Awoniyi has blown his chances for both under 23 and against the beast CAR. If he had retained his hold in Liverpool, may be he would have a chance. A wide opened goal, he could not score. If Rohr had risked the chance to bring him in again, there could be a big problem. Awoniyi is not a good material for the Super Eagle. Ejuke took his chance and sealed it for good. Ighalo second coming has been ordained by God. Ighalo shall prevail and salience all those who wish him ill-luck. You are going to witness miracle with the natural way Ighalo shall fulfil his destiny. Believe me.
The point is not whether Ighalo should be brought back or not. Rather, it is about demonstration of of managerial failure by the coach. It’s also a show of lack of confidence in his players. All this may lower the morale of the players. GR tends to be gradually retrogressing. I should think that GR is completely exhausted. He nothing else to offer.
Bringing Jude back to the team is retrogressive and counterproductive. No one forced him out of the team hence should not come back because his vacuum has been filled. We are already on the verge of qualifying, just one win, we are there.
I won’t be surprised if he booed by fans anytime they sight him.
Awoniyi is a fantastic talent that I admire not just for his goalscoring ability, but also for his HUMILITY AND PROFESSIONALISM.
Awoniyi may not have been selected for at this time, but he remains a Super Eagle. He is very much part of the team, and part of Rohr’s plans.
If our SUPER STRIKERS had done the job against CAR and Cape Verde, nobody will be talking about Ighalo today.
The coach of the team, a coach we’re owing salaries, says he needs Ighalo. Let him do his job.
If Ighalo performs well, we all enjoy it. If he fails, he shouldn’t be hated for it. Anybody can fail at anything. Nobody is perfect.
If Awoniyi continues his present form, he will definitely be on the plane to Cameroon for the Afcon, because the squad will be bigger with 28 players. Awoniyi is still part of the team. By supporting Rohr and the team, we are helping Awoniyi as well. Let’s help the team to qualify for the world cup, so Awoniyi can be on the plane to Qatar when the time comes!
The point is not whether Ighalo should be brought back or not. Rather, it is about demonstration of managerial failure by the coach. It’s also a show of lack of confidence in his players. All this may lower the morale of the players. GR tends to be gradually retrogressing. I should think that GR is completely exhausted. He has nothing else to offer.
Bringing Jude back to the team is retrogressive and counterproductive. No one forced him out of the team hence should not come back because his vacuum has been filled. We are already on the verge of qualifying, just one win, we are there.
I won’t be surprised if he is booed by fans anytime they sight him.
Before it was Awoniyi missed open chances, now it’s I love him bla bla..
You were all over the internet berating Awoniyi just to support for Ighalo’s invitation.
You blamed Awoniyi for a match that was lost to technical ineptitude of Dumbo Roar. If the match against CAR was used as a yardstick for players invitation, Awoniyi will be on the first list of 11 players. Iheanacho was the worst player in the two matches, yet you left him off the hook.
May be you should try to be honest as @ glory who happens to be one of most consistent Roar supporters on this forum. Then you will realize what great minds and progressives like hush, omo9ja, Ugo, Sunnyb, and Co have been saying about the MO of Roar.
Roar can not eat his cake and have it..
The spirit of those players that he has willingly denied national team appearance will continue to haunt him and his fellow cohorts forever…
How come SE top performers in EPL (Dennis), most clean sheet in Europe (Adeleye), leading scorer in Europe (Awoniyi), ever consistent defender (Ajayi), Serie A material (Ebuehi) are left out of a team for Musa, Uzoho (zero appearance in months), Ighalo (Retiree based in Arabia),and Omeruo (has not featured in his club last 3 matches).
It is only a corrupt coach that makes such selection/invitation. It is only a deluded and trophyless coach that says something and does something else. An ambitious coach will never drop active players or top team players for bench warmers or Saturday league players…
ROAR OUT !!!
Let the Eagles fly with her Matured resources and also integrate her Technically sound young tools.
A good club footballer may not necessarily understand the space outside his club responsibility interms of positioning!!!
Our Super Eagles team needs players that can think outside the ineffective box of National coaches sometimes. Thus a good footballer for a club might still need extra thinking and bravery to out fox the obstacles of a less organized National Team like the Super Eagles currently!!!
Awoniyi as a good footballer has to add the extra bravery to succeed in the Super Eagles in this desperate Times bcoz the National Team still lacks brave leaders and positional balance.
I have made my comment. Let whoever does not like it go and scatter Olumo rock with his stupid head! That one concern them!
Who berated Awoniyi? If you don’t understand the meaning of the word BERATE, google it!
I said Awoniyi missed open net against CAR. Yes. But he was not the only one. All the strikers missed chances. Osimhen himself missed open net in the second leg. Why then do you single out Awoniyi as the only one I attacked?
The fact is all our supposedly super strikers let us down, which is why Ighalo has now come into the picture. This is Rohr’s decision, not my own, or anybody else here. And it’s unfair to attack Rohr for this. He has a right to make decisions that he feels can save his job.
If you want Rohr out, that is fine. Who will replace him, who can perform better than him, and tolerate being owed months of salaries? I ask you, who can do this?
A homeless person too does not mind to stay in a 5 star hotel, or a luxurious mansion. What is stopping him?
Is it not his condition? If he had money, will he be out on the streets?
Nigeria is in a beggarly situation now because of our inept, incompetent NFF. And we will remain here until we fix NFF. If NFF was working properly, Rohr would not have been hired in the first place!
We have so many good players. Sadly, not everybody can make the team. But they are all possibles. As long as they keep working hard, they will get their chance.
The divisive and hateful rhetoric is irrational and counterproductive!
Liberia and Cape Verde are probably rejoicing right now. Their job is being made easy by our lack of unity. A divided house will surely fall. Our interests and preferences may differ, but we should all come together to achieve the overriding objectives.
Agreed, Rohr is not the best possible coach for Nigeria.
But sacking him will send our football back into the dark ages, if the NFF continues to operate the way they always have.
They will not replace him with a quality coach, because they can’t pay him.
They will bring in another African Guardiola, or another inept local coach, and we will be back in the dispensation of PAY AND PLAY, PLAYER AGENTS, AND NEPOTISM.
Rohr has many faults, but he is more honest and transparent than what we were used to in the past. If we sack him now without a good succession plan, we would be throwing the precious baby, the bathwater and even the bowl outside into the street.
What we need first and foremost, is the right succession plan. How to get someone who will do better than Rohr, and who is also within our budget. When we do that, then we can say our goodbyes.
I will bookmark this one in case it happens. This is Nigeria. Nothing gets better. God help us.
You could have done that without informing anyone. RED FLAG!
No big deal
About Ighalo is he is proven goalscorer and better than Onuachu u ppl like. Striking and positional play
Roger milla went to World Cup at 38 and was one of the best players.
Rohr is seeing that his other attackers are not scoring and only
Osimhen is scoring and defenders.
Everything there can be expressed in 3 lines, none is fooled. I do know all it requires is patience instead of unnecessarily being agitated in the lengthy texts, only a fool does that.
The next afcon, June – July 2023 is there for those suggestions but do ensure they are objective based otherwise and as being proven, noise can never been taken into consideration.
My only concern now is we need to hear from Rohr mostly as it concerns his preparations. Coach Rohr, going by recent rating of 8, has done very well with the list. And since he has set the ball rolling as usual, the only alternative left for Nigerians right now is to remain in prayers, encourage the lads to triumph in Cameroon.
The standard is raised so high for certain young players while the standard is lowered or non existent for certain players why?…..When it gets to some players you hear he must play in top5 league,he must be consistent,he must be scoring week in week out,he must take his chances etc……but when it gets to some players you hear he is versatile,he is Rhor’s trusted soldier,team cohesion,team bonding,etc….. Standard should be standard no matter the person involved……If we say top5 let it be top5 and nothing less……If we say consistent let it be consistent and nothing more……When Zaidu sanusi had a little turbulent spell early this season due to a failed transfer from Porto to Roma,Coach Rhor quickly dropped him without even blinking an eyes but Musa was clubless for Months and even had to start training in Nigeria with Kano pillers but was never dropped for the national team why??????……Godfatherism!
Folks, when is the FIFA window, which obligates clubs to release their players called-up for international duties, running? We have only 8 days to go and still making noise.
@Akp. You are right. The only reason I supported musa invitations was becausr of off field influence. But to call an old unwilling horse to the super eagles show rohr has lost focus. He is confused. Do you he is still talking about his semi final target!
WE won 2013 atcon with a team that is not as talented as this. Yet he is still talking about semi final target. Rhis is Nigeria and togo or Garbon.
A sensible coach should just say, ” of course we have a target to win the cup justblike any other team. We will do our best to make the nation proud.”
But he talks down the confidence of the players all the time.
The truth will not die. Something happened before ighalo was invited. Rohr and pinnick began to sell the idea to us with interviews and statements in the press. Then ighalo telling us he has not decided. Just like the Nigerian way of doing things.
Rohr has allowed the Nigerian nonesense to envelope him because of his readiness to satisfy the powers that be.
1. What happens to his popular noise of top 5 leagues
2. Why would an awoniyi doing very well in Germany be sacrificed for a 33 year old that made us to cry at the last world cup.
3. Why woukd a coach not hunger to try out Umar sodiq considering what he has been doing over the years. I still believe that guy will give oshimen a fight of his life for the striker’s shirt. But the now clueless rohr can’t see beyond his nose again.
4. Ighalo is never the best thing that has happened to our super eagles. He is not special. We can as well call back martins, aghanhowa etc. Rohr is confused.
5. We have a problem in midfield and yet you can’t risk bringing in some players who have other qualities than the ones you have already in camp. Rohr rigidity is hindering the growth of this team.
6. Younger players don’t have the urge again to do more in their clubs and also to move to too 5 leagues.
Well the truth will be out very soon.
Is either you or your keypad.
Obviously some hasn’t been able to sleep since the fortunate list was announced. Take heart. Ikpeba I know is rescinding on his earlier thoughtless position. If there is any complete and confident striker in the Super Eagles of today, that striker is Odion Ighalo. Accepting his invitation to the national side is the thing to do.
@Oseodion, you talked about session structure, that took many of us. What is the session all about?
Roar is a divisive coach who has consistently demonstrated that he is no only technically and tactically deficient but dishonest. His uses selective criteria for players selection. He is so inconsistent that players that a bench warmer and inactive players are considered ahead for starters. He is so compromised that he dropped an in-form player for a retiree.
Again, the spirit of those deserving players he denied their rights will haunt him, his perpuators forever..
Roar is a fraud…
Roar is a divisive coach who has consistently demonstrated that he is not only technically and tactically deficient but dishonest. He uses selective criteria for players selection. He is so inconsistent that players that a bench warmer and inactive players are considered ahead for starters. He is so compromised that he dropped an in-form player for a retiree.
Again, the spirit of those deserving players he denied their rights will haunt him, his perpuators forever..
Roar is a fraud…