Former Nigeria international Nwankwo Kanu says Odion Ighalo should be called out of international retirement if he performs in his loan spell at Manchester United, Completesports.com reports.
Ighalo called time on his Eagles career, after finishing as top scorer at last year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt with five goals.
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Since his transfer deadline day loan to United move as a temporary replacement for the injured Marcus Rashford he has impressed.
The former Eagles striker has scored three goals in seven appearances in all competitions.
He featured in his first Manchester derby on Sunday, coming on in the final two minutes as United beat local rivals Manchester City 2-0.
And reacting to his impressive displays for the Red Devils, the two-time CAF Player of the Year winner posited that the Eagles coaching crew should invite players who have been performing.
“Nigeria needs every good player no matter where they are playing or their age,” Kanu was quoted by Goal.
“If he performs for Manchester United we will ask him to comeback and tell him to forget what he said.”
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We should move forward to younger and more potent strikers. He has paid his dues and he left when the ovation was highest.
Ighalo is a good player. No doubt. But we should leave him alone and move forward. The truth is that in soccer there are fanatics who don’t know how to criticize. He has paid his dues to our country naija. It’s time to move on
Are people still asking about whether Ighalo has performed or impressed at Man United?
In my opinion, even if Ighalo does not score for Man United again, even if he doesn’t play again, his journey there is already successful, with his performance so far.
I understand where Papilo is coming from. Nigeria does need every good player, but the player should be willing and able to come to us. If Ighalo choses to come out of retirement, champagne bottles will be popping. If not, all we can do is thank him for past service and wish him well.
Hahahahahahaha
For me, it’s best to leave when the ovation is high. For now, Ighola, just focus of your club work and succeed,make impact and become the deadliest Stricker the world can offer….
KANU please forget that matter you dey talk . we are doing well without him
Mba. God have blessed Ighalo with a huge ovation by winning the highest goal scorer in Afcon but if you people still pushing him to do more, I will advise him to protect his image.
“Nigeria needs every good player no matter where they are playing or their age,” Kanu was quoted by Goal”.
You are right Mr. Kanu but don’t you think that club side football is totally different to the national team.
For that reason, please let’s leave the gentleman alone. He has done very well for his fatherland.
This is my candid opinion on Ighalo.
I know Mr. Edoman wont like to hear this but if truly you love Ighalo, advice him not to come back. I love him too because he is a humble man and a matured person as well.
Congratulations to Mr. Ighalo. We are proud of you. Keep it up our man.
God bless Nigeria!!!
Thank you Mr Omo9ja, l always admire your consistency once your hold your views. Equally for me also, l sincerely believe that no one playing the striker role in the National team today can match the strength, enthusiasms and experiences that our Ighalo brings to the table in Super Eagle. His omission is a big drawback at this time. Ighalo services are needed now as never before. Look seriously at Liverpool, you may like what Salah and Mane are doing for the team together every week.
our Legend Kanu admitted the obvious in the article under discussion, that every efforts should be made to bring our Ighalo to the fold and make him the National Captain in our full demonstration to him that, we as a people, appreciates of his prowl. The first Nigerian player to ever play for Manchester United. Think about that.
Many thanks to you my dear Edoman.
If we go by what people are saying about this issue, you can see now that majority of us do not wanted Ighalo back into the team.
That is the best he can do. He will be forever remembered if he doesn’t come back if he comes back and messing around, hmmm, think about it.
My lovely Mr. Edoman, we have so much young talented players everywhere, that is where I don’t agree with coach Rohr because we have goalkeepers and left fullback locally and overseas he can choose from but why he keep waisting time is what I don’t know.
If Yobo is eventually joined the team and ready to work, hopefully, he will change that.
I appreciate his efforts and I know he can’t do it all. We have to support him and his team. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Ighalo. Pls do not consider coming back to the SE. Continue to put your haters through the agony of “what would have been” by thumping in goals for one of the top 5 biggest clubs in the world.
Some of them who used to call you “USELESS” have started recanting and advising the coach to teach other strikers to play like you. LMAO. Make them all continue to sweep the ground with their mouths and drool every weekend watching you don the red and white jersey of Man Utd.
2nd comings hardly end well. You have left when the ovation was loudest and have thus earned yourself the place of legends of Nigerian football – one of few to have ever score hattricks, one of few to have ever won top scorer at AFCON, one of few to have ever scored 5 goals in 1 AFCON, one of few to have goal to game ratio of over 0.45, 4th all time top scorer for Nigeria, first and only Nigerian player to ever play and score for Man Utd….pls millions of dollars you have and still currently earning in the game of football.
My brother….Baba God don bless u….Wetin u want ask for again…??
I couldn’t have said it better@ Dr.Drey
…additionally, Ighalo has rightfully pass the baton to Osimhen. And with the latter, we are in good hands. Not forgetting, the many great potential out there piling up to get there chance in the much coveted role.
Ighalo is fast becoming a cult hero in Manchester United and his legacy in the Nigerian jersey would forever remain.
He has served us well. It is time to serve himself and enjoy the remaining moments in the limelight. No one deserves it better..
Nigeria don’t need ighalo at this point in time. Shikena.
ighalo ke, wen experienced dresser is here. is it bcus he is now a mama united player. Abeg papilo leave dat matter
I don’t think those clamouring for the return of Ighalo truly love him. We have a surfeit of strikers, waiting to be polished and deployed. Ighalo has played his role valiantly, being fortunate to enter the Nigerian history books in glowing terms. What if he returns to the national team and experiences a dip in fortune. Should the ever volatile and unpredictable SE fans resume action? Hurling abuses and stones not only at him, but his at his lovely family? Is that what we want for him?
KANU sef dey fall my hand sha
Any talk of Ighalo return is arrant bullshit, nonsense talk of the highest order. Let Ighalo keep banging goals for Man united (God gat his back and our prayers are with him) , he has done his best for Nigeria and he shouldn’t even look back.
This is Nigeria for crying out loud, not Burundi or Lesotho (no disrespect to them either), better options are not found wanting here anytime any day, we’ll keep having brilliant players because brilliancy on all facets are the content our DNA is solely made of.
Just look at the arrays of good strikers on ground and with that, someone still thinks Ighalo is needed….cut the crap jooor
This present man u is not in anyway better than the eagles. If we play against them if rohr nor drink gulder oh, we will bit them as for kanu he is same like ighalo . They are both club players. That is how we lost 2000 nations cup and never score a nations cup goal despite playing many games having him in the field was never like aghahuwa or yekini. Maja and dessers are good enough not talk of osimememe.
One thing i have come to realize about ighalo issues is the fact that super eagles have not been playing the science of scoring goals. i must confess i was one of the people that believed that he was going to be a flop in manchester united but now it’s obvious that our coaches need to do a lot more in the super eagles to allow our strikers score goals with ease . The goals ighalo scored while with eagles were most times labored for. This is one area the Europeans and Americans and now Asian like Japan and korea are beginning to do which still lack in African football. Let Rohr continue the good work by inserting game plan that will produce goals for us.
_ Should Ighalo come back? _
It gets me thinking whenever the debates comes up among football loving Nigerians as to whether or not Ighalo should come out of retirement. I honestly would have thought it was a forgeone conclusion.
Mancheser United – for all the difficulty they are curently through , having found it hard to replicate anything close to Sir Alex Fergurson’s successes – is still one of the most succsessful football franchises in the modern game; one steeped in very rich history.
For a Nigerian footballer to be playing – and scoring – for them is the stuff of sweet dreams for Super Eagles fans (and the player himself).
Ighalo is expected to go back to China after what is tunring out to be a successful brief spell at Old Trafford.
Having now cemented his reputation as a top quality centre forward, should it even be up for debate if the 31 year old decides honour the call of his fatherland for 1 or 2 more years?
Surprisingly, there are arguments against Ighalo making a U-turn on his international retirement as expressed by a number of Super Eagles fans.
These include:
1.The Rise of Osihmen: The Lille man has taken to the centre forward role in the Super Eagles like duck to water. Many fear that his development in the national team could be stunted if confined to the bench by Ighalo’s return.
2.Flair: For all his achievements, many still don’t see Ighalo as a flair player. The way he interprets the centre forward role does not appeal to many Super Eagles fans despite the end results (in the way of goals).
3.Options aplenty: Many fans are itching to see new generation of strikers strut their stuff for Nigeria. Dessers, Maja, Akpom and soon-to-be-unveiled players are now available for selection. Many argue for us to move beyond Ighalo to create room for these prospects.
4.Rohr’s rigidity: Rohr’s reputation as a coach who makes (very) late substitutions precedes him. Many fans worry that if Ighalo should come back, coach Rohr will stick to him like flies to sh*t even if he doesn’t play well. This – if it happens – will deny them the opportunity of seeing what other strikers can offer.
5. Russia 2018: Some haven’t overcome the monumental miss by Ighalo against Argentina at the 2018 World Cup.
Ighalo is a huge talent, no doubt; a pride to his family, community and nation at large. His profile has increased immensely by his performances for Manchester United.
I don’t think he would want to do anything to diminish his current high profile, even if that means staying away from the Super Eagles for good!
Hmm AFRICAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR
IGHALO òoòo next
It is possible for this happen