Odion Ighalo has apologised to Nigerian fans for missing the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Ighalo was named in the Eagles’ final 28-man squad for this year’s edition which kicked off on Sunday.
However, Al Shabab refused to release Ighalo claiming his call-up from the Nigeria Football Federation arrived after the deadline.
And in a post published on Super Eagles Instagram handle on Monday, Ighalo confirmed he will not be part of the Eagles squad.
He begged Nigerians for missing the tournament but expressed confidence that the Eagles have the talent to go all the way to the final.
“Hi, my name is Odion Jude Ighalo. Here’s me wishing the Super Eagles all the very best at the AFCON tournament.
“Sorry I cannot be there but I’m supporting the boys all the way, we need prayers from Nigerians to support the team, to back them because with their prayers and support the team will make Nigeria proud.
“Go boys and make us proud, you guys can do it we have enough talent in that team that can take us to the final. God bless you guys.“
By James Agberebi
Got what it Takes?
Predict and Win Millions Now
47 Comments
Apologies accepted King! You fought hard to make sure your club permits you but unfortunately they couldn’t. Lets just hope Sadiq, Awoniyi and kels do it for us
You don’t need to be sorry Ighalo, just that I would have preferred your presence in that team to this wasted slot. I can guarantee we won’t miss you. All the best
There he/she goes again! No respect for our football heroes. SMH..
We tell you not to come you no gree… You like wetin you do to Cyriel Dessers now? You go collect Arab fat money sign commitment want to come and change goalpost for middle of March…
I no blame you na that old cargo coach wey bring your matter come destabilize team… No come back again!
You dey make person laugh bro
I really hope Cyril Dessers gets his chance after the AFCON. I doubt if he’ll hold on beyond this year as a SE player if he’s not selected for the WC playoffs.
I blame all the paw-paw heads in the NFF for this mess.
Thanks Ighalo for the years you have put into the service of your fatherland. We also wish you all the best in your career. We love you.
However. Your return to the Super Eagles for me was unnecessary. You had left when the ovation was loudest. In my opinion, it’s rather on a low that you will probably bid your goodbye.
Because, if this AFCON turn out to be a revelation for the current Strikers. Especially with Ahmed Musa bowing out after this competition, your welcome would become overstayed. As I doubt if any Coach will dare risk bringing you back to that team…(just thinking though) because you would have become past tense…
Already I feal very bad that your unavailability has cost the eagles a slot. The slot that would have improved someone elses C.V. Probably you were trying to force your club to releasing you while allaying NFF’s fears that you will eventually turn up. Unfortunately, wishes turn out not to be horses…and Mr Picnic has succeeded in taking us on excursion.
But because there are lots going on in the background that we fans don’t know. I will stop here to allow forumites contribution.
Thanks once again. But please, you may wish to call it a day with the Eagles…
You guys should be nice please with your comments. All this harsh comments are not necessary. Just say apologies accepted and leave please! This guy gave us bronze last tourney and so he deserves some props
Why didn’t you maintain this energy with Dennis? Bloody hypocrite! You @Monkey fool is the worst kind of fan on this forum
And calling GENERAL ROHR’S name is not necessary too. Please let’s learn to respect people that served us well.
Atleast I’m not insulting some people and preaching for peace for others. That’s hypocrisy.
Oga shift! Cause a problem and play the innocence card. You knew the contract you signed yet you selfishly returned to the super Eagles knowing you won’t be available in January.
Odion selfish foolish hypocrite Ighalo
There are some Nigerians who can see through your bullshit
lol…o ya overseer
Ighalo shoild be ashamed of himself,his greed took the better of him,we were shouting here for u not to come back but u refused ,just because u want to remain relevant just to make a move to europe.now u cost us a spot and we will not forget,we beg u once again,leave the super eagles alone ,u did well during the last Afcon and called it a day,why are u now coming back,when u are not needed,u played against cape verde and saw that u have passed ur prime,stay retired pls.
Well written.
You see now, selfishness have no cure. You retired and why did you come back into the Super Eagles.
You knew that the contract you signed with your club has a clause and you and NFF AJĘWOMASAN the debtor were playing Nigeria like kick and follow football.
You wasted a slot for nothing and you are here saying that you are sorry when we have Dessers who is better than you that can replace you jęję but you and coach Eguavoen/NFF are just deceiving yourselves not us.
I hope Edoman will apologize to Nigerians as well but it is too late to do so and it would have been better for you Ighalo to pull out before now. Too bad. God bless Nigeria!!!
When Dennis was asked about Ighalo, he said he will smoke him. Though rude but that was the honest truth. If not that Rhor and corrupted Pinnick and his cohort at the NFF are daft, they wouldn’t have bring Ighalo back.
I have said it before and will repeat it again. IGHALO at his best was just an average striker. Nothing spectacular in his goal scoring ratio. Now that he had past his prime playing at a League you can’t even compare to South African or Egyptian League, they brought him back in other to continue enjoying gifts from the rich man and himself being greedy wanted to use the team to make himself relevant again so some small clubs in europe can come calling probably bcos he still want to continue playing active and competitive football.
He is not even close our top 5 strikers as far as am concerned. Osimhen, Awoniyi, Dessers, Ihaenacho and Umar. I even see Onuachu ahead of him just that he is not lucky with the Eagles and his style of play isn’t helping matter. Yet their is still Moffi.
Bros Ighalo, abeg retire in peace and don’t come and distabilise the team after the AFCON. Thanks and God bless you
I have even forgotten Dennis. So it goes like this. Osimhen, Dennis, Awoniyi, Dessers, Ihaenacho and Umar. Moffi, Onuachu and the rest strikers on standby list
Oga it is the Egyptian and South African leagues you can’t compare to the Saudi League. Granted Ighalo should just forget about the SuperEagles since he couldn’t make the AFCON as players like Awoniyi and Sadiq will surely want to prove a point. Not forgetting Osimhen will be back after the AFCON so Ighalo is done with the SuperEagles. However, if he keeps scoring in Saudi Arabia and the new coach wants him so be it. But to come here and ridicule the Saudi League is laughable. Belaili, Brahimi, M’bolhi, Bounedjah plays in the Saudi and Qatari leagues. They’re the undisputed favorite in the tournament at least for now. Let us always calm down with our sentiments.
What kind of response to an apology is this?it does not make sense at all?
Sean T Ighalo was never an average striker. We don’t want him in the team anymore simply because of current form.
A player who epl player of the month can never be an average striker, never!
However, as far as the current strikers we have now are concerned, Ighalo has no business with the national team
It still baffles me how ignorant some people are. Upon all the revelations we have had these few days some dudes still believe the lies NFF has been spreading about the invitation of Ighalo and Dennis. even after the Saudi club has come out to say that the invitation letter came behind schedule. Wait a minute, if NFF;s error of sending late invitation is down to the fact that Rohr, as claimed in some quarters, did not list Dennis in his 40 man squad, could it also be down to Rohr’s refusal to list Ighalo in the same list as the reason for the glass house to have sent Ighalo’s invitation letter late as well? if u think Ighalo has a clause in his contract not to honour national invitation, then u are a learner.
IGHALO WHAT ARE YOU STILL LOOKING FOR IN SUPER EAGLE AGAIN. GIVE CHANCE TO THIS YOUNG PLAYERS, WE HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH IN STRIKING POSITION NOW.
PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM SUPER EAGLE. WE DON’T NEED YOU AGAIN.
WE APPRECIATE YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IN THE PAST.
WE SAY THANK YOU.
I still don’t understand why many are insulting and blaming Igahalo for the wasted one slot that ought to have been occupied by the better players -Dessers or Akin Amoo who could have made the differences in Afcon to back up Taiwo Awoniyi & co
Are they telling us that the erstwhile clueless Coach Rohr a.k.a Belmadi’s trainee and his business partner Amaju Fraud-Pinnick are not aware of the Clause in Igahalo contract ? ( after all Igahalo while debunking the bribery rumours late last year in interview had attributed the contract clause as one of the obstacles that he was faced with before coming to play for SE ( which showed that , both Igahalo and coach Rohr plus Amaju Fraud Pinnick is aware of Igahalos’ contract clause).
Now back to Eguafon, who to me have been able to prove that he is just an upgraded local version of Rohr ; why would he have to played along with the deceit of Igahalo and Fraud Pinnick , at least going by the shambolic performance of Igahalo in his only game for SE ; where he was disgracefully removed in the second half with appalling shameful poor performance of Zero goal , Zero assist , zero contributions and missing 3 goals chances that came his way (proving that Sunday-Sunday Saudi football is quite different from competitive league ; even a football novice wouldn’t have rated Sunday-Sunday Saudi football game higher than 2nd division of Nigerian local league , let alone comparing it to Egyptian league), where Rohr himself was embarrassingly begging Nigerians to give the retired Igahalo more time , attributing Igahalo appalling poor performance to that of being away from SE for 2 years ( what a country!! If Nigeria is lead by sane people, Rohr and his business partner NFF ought to have been prosecuted before he was sacked)
What a corrupt Country !!
Lol…Some people here said Saudi League is better than South African and Egyptian league. Dem go say he scorer 11 goals in 15 matches playing against Amateur defenders LMAO
Igahalo you are not to be blamed but blame the corrupt in our system and Amaju Fraud-Pinnick who allowed you to deceived the entire nations with your comic alibi of contract clause and hide and seek game that resulted wasting a valuable slot that should have been occupied by a better younger players Dessers and Akin Amooo.
Just imagine your appalling poor game in our last game , if you were patriotic, would you have allowed Nigeria to waste that slot knowing fully that you would be exposed with the absence of Osimeh that laboured hard to played your role and yours before you were hauled out by your Pady-Pady clueless coach Rohr .
You don’t need to apologize, though we have to thank you for your past positive contributions for SE where you were not a spectacular player even at your prime time as the Yekini , Amockachi, Kanu, JJ Okocha , Amunike ; Ikpeba etc but just thank your God that you have a corrupt country as Nigeria that you can played with their intelligence
@SeanT , Don’t mind them many gullible ones are sentimentally beclouded; only a gullible football fans would rated Sunday-Sunday Saudi Holy pilgrimage land higher than Rivers angels women football league here in Nigeria, let alone comparing it to Nigerian premier league and it is an insult comparing Saudi Sunday-Sunday football to that of Egyptian league that is one of the best leagues in Africa.
If anyone is in doubt ,of the Saudi Sunday- Sunday football league quality compare to our local league; video of our last game , against Cape Verde is very much available where the retired Igahalo was unsurprisingly totally flopped to the embarrassment of his conspirator in chief Rohr that hauled him out in 2nd half and shamelessly begging Nigerians to give Igahalo more time ; having displayed one of the most disgraceful performance by any strikers in SE with Zero goal , Zero assist and missing all the begging chances that came his way before he hauled out
Only a gullible uninformed people will think that the Egyptian and South African leagues are better than the Saudi leagues. Go and check the coefficient of the Arab leagues then come back and talk to me. They’re all on the same level in international rankings go and research the stats. If Egyptian clubs are better than Saudi clubs as most Saudi players plays in their league why didn’t Egypt beat Saudi Arabia at the 2018 WorldCup??? In fact Saudi Arabia have always had Egypt numbers most times they meet. Go and do better research and come back with your lies lmao!! Some think they can just come to a public forum to be ignorant of facts and expect us to be hailing them. Lmao!!!
They can come here and glamor about the Egyptian and South African leagues Lmao!! You know why? Because their clubs are the most successful on the African continent. But they can’t glamour about their own league that hardly complete a full season of league games in half a decade Lmao!! Yet they will be crying for home based quota when they couldn’t even qualify for ordinary CHAN. Lmao!! Thank God we have another foreign coach to continue from where we are.
@ Ayphillydegreat; Lol Clap for yourself for comparing Saudi Sunday- Sunday football to African local Egyptian league ; thank God Igahalo was unsurprisingly super flopped in the only game he played for SE otherwise you wouldn’t have only compared it with African local league of Egypt, you would have comparing it with Premiership, Laliga , France , Belgium , Germany football etc
Clap for yourself again my brother and happy New year ;
How I wished Igahalo came to exposed himself in the Afcon with absence of Osimeh who over laboured for him in the last game before he was removed with zero shameful performance by his business partner;
but Igahalo is very smart guy I know he would not report to camp ; he played similar smart card in our last away match by playing hide & seek game fooling the gullible ones along with his Paddy-Paddy Coach Rohr and played at home against the Lilliputian Cape Verde thinking that game will be easy as Saudi Sunday- Sunday football .
What pained me most is denying a better player in Dessers and Akin Amoo . I hope this unpatriotic act of deceiving the gullible Nigerians , along the corrupt inclusion of the inactive John Noble at the expense of Dessers and Akin Amoo respectively would not send SE home early because of lack of good bench
You can’t blame Rohr for including Ighalo in the 28 man list Oga. If you have a beef with him wasting a slot for another player put that frustration on the NFF and your own. Lmao. Rohr only put him on his 40 man list and had since left over a month before they released the 28 man list. Bro you’re smart enough na to know what’s going on in Naija. Happy new year to you too let’s wish our SuperEagles all the best and stop blaming anyone for our problems. We are our problems!!! Like I said I’m glad another foreign coach who will be neutral to selecting players on merit is there in Cameroon observing the team and working with Cerezo. The last thing the boys we have in Cameroon need is unnecessary distractions.
Thanks for the memories but it is time to call it a day! Time to pull the curtains on a worthwhile international career, cest finis Ighalo. Musa spoke honourably by agreeing to retire from afcon after 2022. Allow the next generation of naija ballers to emerge. If you ask me , demola lookman is poised to take his place.
I am particularly impressed with Musa’s leadership; I loved his response to the Salah question . His love for this country is not in doubt.
Hahahahaha…..illiteracy is indeed a disease Ayphilly.
“…even a football novice wouldn’t have rated Sunday-Sunday Saudi football game higher than 2nd division of Nigerian local league , let alone comparing it to Egyptian league…” LMAOoooo
Saudi league is not higher in rating than Nigerian 2nd divsion, but the best players from the NPFL (Nigeria’s first division) a la Gbolahan Salami, Okemute Odah, Jamiu Mohammed, Gabriel Reuben, Paul Onobi etc couldn’t play at higher levels than 2nd and 3rd divisions of Saudi Arabian league….LMAOooo.
Saudi Arabian league cannot be compared to Egyptian league, but Saudi League clubs have won the Arab Champions League 8 times and runners up 6 times (14 final appearance, the most in the entire Arab region), but Egyptian league clubs that use the rest of African clubs, (including NPFL clubs) as tissue paper have only been able to win the Arab Champions League 2 times and runners up 3 times (Total of 5 final appearances)
Saudi league is of lower standard to Egyptian league, yet there are at least 7 Egyptian players playing professionally in the Saudi league, while NO Saudi players takes a step down to play in Egyptian league.
104 of the 207 foreign FIFA-affiliated nations have been represented in the Pro League, whereas only about 30 represented in the Egyptian PL, yet Saudi league nor reach Egyptian league o….LMAOoooo.
Saudi Arabia has reached the R16 of the world cup since they started qualifying for the world cup and even defeated Egypt in the last world cup when they met, with players from their league that is so lowly rated compared to Egyptian league, but Egypt has never won half a match since 1934 when they started qualifying for world cup…LMAOooo
Pray tell me, which club in Egypt can afford to pay in the region of $300,000 Ighalo currently earns weekly or the $250,000 per week Musa was earnign at Al Nassr…..LMAOooo
Pray tell me if the Egyptian league has ever had players of the calibre of Ever Banega, Funes Mori, Carlos Eduado, Thiago Neves, Giuliano, Maicon, Marko Marik, Bafetimbi Gomis, Girogios Samaras, Sebastine Giovinco, our own Ighalo and Ahmed Musa, gracing its football stadia every weekend…..LMAOoooo.
Yet Saudi league does not and should never be mentioned in the same sentence with the Egyptian league….LMAoooo
11 goals in 15 matches easy naim dem never score am for NPFL or Nigerian 2nd division…??? LMAOoooo. 11 goals in 15 matches easy naim every other striker for Saudi never score am….? Even in Sunday Sunday leagues do people get to score 11 goals in 15 matches…?
I bet if any players scores 11 goals in 15 matches in the NPFL or NNL, even if he’s on crutches, Sunday Dare will order the coach to call him up to the Super Eagles.
Indeed, ‘…even a football novice wouldn’t have rated Sunday-Sunday Saudi football game higher than 2nd division of Nigerian local league , let alone comparing it to Egyptian league…’ LMAOoooo
Some people are obviously worse than football novices. They are better off with their mouths shut on football matters
Common sense is indeed not common.
Despite the fact the both Watford and Al-Shabaab squarely blamed the non release of Dennis and Ighalo on the ineptitude of the NFF and Mr (No)nonsense Technical Director come interim coach who do not know simple CAF and FIFA rules on player invitations…some pathetic pathological liars still have no shame to bring Rohr into the matter…..LMAOoooo
Eguavoen was appointed of the 12 of December (if I am not mistaken) FIFA deadline for sending of letters did not elapse until 25th December, CAF deadline for replacing players did not elapse until new year eve, yet pathological liars have still unsurprisingly found a way to still blame Rohr for the cluelessness of their owns……LMAOooo.
They lied on Rohr to cover up their incompetence in Dennis’ case…..ROHR DID NOT INCLUDE HIM IN THE INITIAL LIST, IT WAS EGUAVOEN THAT INCLUDED HIM……LMAOOoo…..Please did Rohr also omit Ighalo’s name from the initial list too…??? LMAOoooo. And what about Jamilu Collins, Was it Eguavoen that just added his name to the list to make it no 38 according to your pungent, poignant lies….???
Someone has said it before now (cant recall who), just watch them come out with their fouls gutters to blame Rohr should things not go right at this AFCON….after shamelessly coming here to boast any other coach needs just 2 weeks with the SE to win this AFCON…..LMAOoo
Illiteracy is no doubt a curse….LMAOooooo
@Golden Child I cannot agree less with you; no matter the current level of Musa and the league he plays , he is a disciplined and dedicated SE player an arguably the scorer of one of the best goals any Nigerian SE players ever scored in WC till date.
He surely deserves to be in Afcon as the team Captain and then retire honourably after Afcon and possibly after next WC if SE qualify ; his inclusion is only reasonable one that one can accommodate with plausible reasons, not the one a mechanic Oga Rohr a.k.a Belmadi’s trainee gave us in the retired flopped Igahalo who was unsurprisingly lost in the last SE game against Cape Verde .
In any case ; let us just accept apology of Igahalo having successfully over dribbled the gullible ones, as he himself knew all along with his Saudi club that a retired Igahalo has no business in Afcon , particularly with his shambolic performance in his last game
Hahahahaha…….
“…even a football novice wouldn’t have rated Sunday-Sunday Saudi football game higher than 2nd division of Nigerian local league , let alone comparing it to Egyptian league….’ LMAOoooo
Ndo o. Professor of Football…! LMAOooo
I guess Saudi Arabian league has stopped being a Sunday Sunday league that is only comparable to the Nigerian 2nd division and thousands of kilometers below the Egyptian league….LMAOoooo.
I look forward to the day Nigeria will reach the R16 of the world cup with 100% Nigerian 2nd division players too…..LMAOoooo.
Noxious liar…!!!
Whatever they like they can continue to call Rohr he has already moved on with his life. The last time I checked almost all the players in the AFCON team have played under him or get their debuts under him at one point or the other. For the first time we have over 6 dual national players in our AFCON squad that’s because times have evolve. Maybe some are still living in 1904 Lmao!!! We know how we use to depend on calculators before he came and make qualifying for major tournaments a mere formality. They can deny it all they want it remains the fact.
At least during Rohr’s time clubs were getting invitation letters on time…..LMAOooo
Some clueless technical directors dont even know simple FIFA and CAF rules and spent their 1st 12 days in office granting interviews and playing table soccer on YouTube until deadline for sending invitations elapsed right under their noses……LMAOoooo.
And instead of owning up to their ineptitude like real men would do, they concocted all sorts of lies against Rohr…..LMAOoo….as if it was Rohr who selected the final 28 man squad for the AFCON, before the respective clubs opened their yanshes in public that their LATE INVITATION LETTERS (sent after FIFA deadline of 24/25 December had elapsed) IS THE SOLE REASON THE PLAYERS ARE NOT RELEASED AND NOTHING ELSE…..lmaoooo.
As our people say, “the liar’s witness is always in heaven”…..LMAOooo.
I beg @ Dr drey, leave Eguavoen alone o! After all, he’s the Boss to the incoming coach.
I just pray things won’t get worse than this.
I fear for the likes of..
Akpoguma
Bassey
Dessers
Olise
Ejaria
Lookman and co because if Eguavoen can see that Ndah and one Nwankwo from Naija league are better than Akpoguma and Dessers respectively then I’ll advise that if you have any health issue as a fan, expect worse in any match we play from now on. Save your self from Sudden heart Attack.
I will continue to say this generally to those people occupying various positions in our great nation Nigeria that it’s time they start taking us serious and start acting professional cus the manner of which they does things sometimes makes me wonder if they are oriented concerning the various offices they’re occupying in our great nation imagine we have so many active players everywhere but we still have unoccupied space at Afcon i think we just broke record and it shows that we are not professional as for today’s encounter btw Nigeria vs Egypt hmmmmn i am going silent no comment.
There’s nothing great about Nigeria, let’s be realistic pls
Maybe then we can start working towards being great
After many years of building a Solid future team…
* Omeruo (2 games so far for his 2nd division club)
* Ekong (Calamity..at least once in 3 games is sure)
* Nwakali ( Not a regular for his lower division club)
* Musa and Igalo (if not for club issue) are now our regulars (first teamers)?
Is this really what we want? Are these the players that will compete with de brynes, Messis, Kanes, Chiesas, Manes,Mbapoes and Neymars of these world? Have we forgotten the last European cup so soon? Think very well o!
After osimhen played the last qualifying matched for super eagles if someone had told me that today’s epic match that osigaol will missed it i wouldn’t have believed it what a mystery.
I guess its time to finally say goodbye to the Super Eagles for ighalo. He has done well and he deserves commendation. But he needs to know when its time to bow out especially when the ovation is highest.
Playing these games of returning then having issues with your club over release is not what he should be doing right now.
I wasnt in support of coach rohr calling him back to the team but whats done is done.
Thank you for your service to your national. We wish you all the best.
Most of us see Ighalo as Ighalo, Rohr saw him as Ronaldo… Old man will always be a old man.
The like of lesley ugochukwu cyriel dessers Michael olise Calvin bassey ademola lookman adebayo ayodele curtis jones should start thinking of playing for another country coz nigeria will kill your career