Al Shabab forward Odion Ighalo who has been linked with a return to the senior national team of Nigeria as said by NFF president Amaju Pinnick and confirmed by coach Gernot Rohr has made his view on the issue known.
The top scorer in the Saudi Arabia league with 8 goals from nine games is under pressure from the aforementioned duo to stage a comeback to the team after announcing his retirement from international football in 2019.
Shortly after finishing as top scorer at the last Africa Cup of Nations, Ighalo announced he will be ending his international career but the past few days has been most about the desire of Pinnick and Rohr to have him back in the team.
Few months ago, same question on a potential return to the team was put before Ighalo and his response was that he isn’t thinking about a change of mind now but he could in the future.
He said the fine form of Napoli forward Victor Osimhen and others strikers available to Rohr is part of why he isn’t keen on a return as he believed with proper encouragement they will deliver.
” We have a young sqaud, we need your experience and all that we are even playing young Osimhen up front. I said coach I understand but I just want to respect my decision. Watching the team from afar.
“Supporting them and they are doing so well. Osimhen is scoring goals both for the country and for his club. The young guys are doing well. So you just have to encourage them to keep doing well”, he said in an interview two months ago.
However he credited Rohr for talking him out of international retirement in 2018 following harsh criticism from a section of the Nigerian team over a chance he missed in the World Cup game against Argentina, which Nigeria lost 1-2 to crash out of the tournament.
He claimed his family were subjected to death threats aside threats to burn his house and kill his children. Rohr was however able to talk him out of it and he is presently mulling over the latest request from the coach.
“Me and Rohr we talk almost every day and even yesterday he congratulated me on the two years anniversary of my orphanage. We talk every time. Coach Gernot Rohr is like a father to me. He brought me back after what happened at the World Cup. I said no I’m not going to play for the national team. It’s 100 percent because of him that I came.
“He convinced me, talked to me said he knows I’m not fairly criticised the way people are talking about me. He want me to come back and prove them wrong. I know you are a good striker, you are a good person. I know the support you give to the team. All what you doing for the team and more . He said apart from the football I want you to come back. I am a professional, I get criticised everytime.
” I take it because this is my job but don’t go beyond criticism. Threatening my family, calling my little kids bastard saying you going to kill my kids. You are going to burn my house and all that is beyond football. So I said no what am I gaining?
“Even the club don’t even want me to go to the national team because they are paying me more than what I’m getting wkyh the national team but it’s your country. It’s a pride for me anytime I am being called up. Sometimes I just want to leave the next day. Even when we have a game by the weekend.
“I just want the game to be over so I can move and play for Nigeria. It’s a privilege that is why I always come not because I gain anything from if money wise. So I have been in contact with him. He always talk to me saying he wants me to come. I said coach I’m not thinking about that for now but we will see in the future”.
