Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, has included Al Shabab striker, Odion Ighalo, in his 40-man provisional list for next month’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Liberia and Cape Verde.
The Franco-German gaffer is a huge admirer of the former Manchester United man, who emerged top scorer at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, before calling time on international football.
Nigeria Football Federation president, Amaju Pinnick, in a recent Instagram post, hinted that talks were already underway for Ighalo to return to the national team.
“I had a long conversation with Odion Ighalo, personally I believe we need experience in our attack to combine with our energetically youthful Osinmeh, Onuachu, Kelechi et al. Odion’s body language is very positive,” Pinnick said.
In a chat with Elegbete TV, Rohr revealed that the former Nigeria U-20 captain had been included in his 40-man provisional list to face Liberia and Cape Verde, but it is yet to be known if the striker had given his word to return to the team.
“Ighalo is a very important man, I hope he can come back. I put him on the 40-man provisional list for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, we are in touch. He’s doing really well at his club and he still has the ambition to help his country. We have so many good strikers like Awoniyi, Moffi, Onuachu and Osimhen, but we don’t have anyone like Ighalo.
“Ighalo is different. He’s a special player, he sees everything. Our team now misses maturity and experience and this is where he could help us, because we miss his leadership, his experience and the goals he scored. He was the top scorer in the last AFCON and the qualifiers. I think we have so many young players, but they could learn a lot from the side of such a good player.”
Ighalo, who scored 16 goals in 35 appearances between 2015 and 2019 for the Eagles, has been in superb form for his club, bagging eight goals in nine league games.
He was listed in the Saudi League’s Team of The Week for their week nine games.
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