The frontman’s inclusion in the Eagles’ provisional squad has allayed fears of him missing out of the continental showpiece after an injury scare
When news spread that Odion Ighalo was forced off through injury in the 12th minute of Shanghai Greenland Shenhua’s encounter with Tianjin TEDA at the weekend, the apprehension was palpable for Nigerians.
And for obvious reasons too: the prolific frontman’s rich vein of form for Nigeria in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying saw him top the scorers chart with seven goals, with the hat-trick in a 4-0 success against Libya, as well as a brace against the same opponents in a 3-2 away victory standing out.
With the Afcon just over a month away, injury to a vital component of the Super Eagles won’t have gone down well. Following confirmation that the layoff isn’t as bad as first feared, and with the China-based forward’s inclusion in Gernot Rohr’s 25-man preliminary squad for the continental competition, fans can breathe easy.
It’s ironic that when the timeline of events are taken back a year, right after the World Cup in Russia, the mere mention of the forward’s name was met with so much vitriol and anger.
The frontman’s terrible miss against Argentina saw him strongly censured for the West African nation’s elimination.
Odion Ighalo – Nigeria vs. Argentina
While the score at the time of the striker’s miss was enough to take them through, a goal would likely have made sure of progress to the round of 16. Ultimately, a late Marcos Rojo strike saw the Eagles beaten 2-1.
The irritation at Ighalo was likely due to the fact a run of one goal in five games in qualifying hadn’t endeared him to the nation’s supporters who felt a change was needed up front in Russia. Rohr didn’t budge, though, and his continued lack of goals in the worldwide showpiece increased the bitter criticism of the striker.
Where do people stand on Gernot Rohr’s @NGSuperEagles squad released yesterday?
Naturally the striking options (ins & outs) will come under some scrutiny: Iheanacho (1 goal this season), Success (1), Simy (14), J. Ajayi (5), Onuachu (17), Tammy Abraham (26)….#Team9jastrong pic.twitter.com/9LfEDVXXZh
— Ed Dove (@EddyDove) May 15, 2019
How he’s flourished, when it’d have been easy to wilt, after receiving a plethora of disgraceful abuse on social media is impressive, in the end showcasing his admirable mental fortitude.
In hindsight, credit ought to go to Rohr as well, given he didn’t lose faith in the frontman after the World Cup. The German tactician often gets stick for annoyingly persisting with under-performing players, but his trust in Ighalo, while it did take a long time, is starting to look like the right decision.
