Tag: Ighalo

Watford FC Nigeria import, Odion Ighalo is hoping for a place in the semifinals of the English FA Cup and says he favours a meeting with Hull City rather than Arsenal.

The Hornets booked their place in the 5th round of the competition last week with a 1-0 win over Leeds United and have been drawn to face either Hull or Arsenal.

Arsenal are defending Champions and Coach Arsene Wenger is on course for a record 7th title and Odion, 26, says he expects a likely meeting against the Gunners to be tough.

Watford striker, Odion Ighalo has revealed to SportingLife that his club’s progression to the next round of the English FA Cup has boosted their chances of ending the current season with silverware after a 1-0 home victory over Leeds United in the fifth round on Saturday.

Watford endured a tough challenge from the Elland Road side but overcame to book their place in the last eight of the FA Cup with a 1-0 victory over Leeds United thanks to a Scott Wootton own goal in the 53rd minutes.

Ighalo was benched by Watford coach but was sent on in the 67th minute in place of new signing Nordin Amrabat and Watford that lacked the cutting edge in the attack became lively almost immediately he came on.

He told SportingLife that he was rested by his coach having played many matches recently and that this afforded him the opportunity to look at the match from the sideline before he was introduced in the second half.

Ighalo stressed that his mind is now on their league tie at home to Bournemouth on Saturday where he will be hoping to add to his 14 premier league goals in only his debut season in the EPL.

Watford are ninth on the log with 36 points from 26 matches.

Watford boss, Quique Sanchez Flores had nothing but praise for Odion Ighalo after he hopped off the bench to net the game-winner against Nottingham Forest .

The match was heading for a replay until the Nigeria national-teamer conjured up a winner, netting from close range in the 89th minute.

“With Ighalo, it looks easier to score; when Ighalo is on the pitch it is like the opportunity to score is easier,” Flores was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

“We tried, we crossed a lot, we played football, go inside the box a lot of times but finally Ighalo scored.

“In the last 20 minutes we thought that with Ighalo and Jose Manuel Jurado we can maybe get one step more because they were the most offensive players we  had on the bench.”

Ighalo,26, has 15 goals (4 assists) to his name from 25 matches so far this season.

WATFORD manager, Quique Sanchez Flores remains calm over transfer speculations surrounding his Nigerian charge, Odion Ighalo.

Ighalo had a barnstorming 2015 in which he netted 30 goals, more than any player in England’s top four divisions.The Super Eagles striker has also netted 14 league goals this season, a tally only bettered by Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy and Everton’s Romelu Lukaku.

He has understandably attracted interest from a whole lot of admirers as a result with Atletico Madrid and Manchester United mentioned amongst his pursuers.

The striker even stated this week that a move to Manchester United “would be a dream.”

Flores, however, remains calm explaining that such transfer stories would usually make the headlines at this stage of the season.

“I understand (these stories). We are in the January transfer window so we have to accept these stories.

“It is every good news for Watford (that our players are attracting interest). It is good news for (Troy) Deeney, (Odion) Ighalo, (Nathan) Ake or (Etienne) Capoue.

“It means that the players are playing really well,” Flores told assembled media at his press conference.

While Ighalo’s efficiency in front of goal can never be called to question, foremost British journalist, Mark Ogden has sounded a note of warning that a move to Old Trafford could sound the death knell on the striker’s blossoming career.

Watford have issued a statement insisting that Nigeria striker, Odion Ighalo is not for sale “under any circumstances” as the transfer window opened yesterday.

Watford are eighth on the EPL table thanks largely to the 14 goals scored by Ighalo on their return to the English top-flight league.

Ighalo has been linked with a transfer to La Liga side Atletico Madrid as well as Italian club Roma with Atletico reportedly willing to fork out 12 million pounds for the 26-year-old striker.

Before the start of the season, the Nigeria star also turned down “a crazy deal” from China.

Watford skipper Troy Deeney has already said Ighalo’s goals will guarantee the modest club a windfall of 200 million pounds should they stay up in the EPL and a new television revenue sharing formula kicks in next season.

Odion Jude Ighalo has paid his dues since he featured for Nigeria at the 2009 FIFA U20 World Cup. Six years later he made his debut for the senior national team, the Super Eagles. He has been somewhat of a journeyman playing in Norway, Italy and Spain before moving to England where he has stayed for the last one and half seasons with Watford. He helped them gain promotion from the Championship to the Premier League where he has now scored 14 goals in the first half of the season.

He reviewed some of his 2015 experience with Goal , the brains behind his form and Watford in only their debut season in the most exciting league in the world.

Goal Nigeria: Odion, it was an impressive performance by you and your team against Chelsea. How did Watford feel at the end of the regulation time having drawn against the defending champions?

ODION IGHALO: It was an awesome feeling I must admit. We were all very happy that we got another fine result against a very tough Chelsea team. It was due to the hard work of everyone in the team from the players to the coaches and others on the sideline too.

The goal you got against Chelsea was your 13th of the season, did you celebrate it differently from your other goals?

To be frank with you it was because of the hard work of the whole team, it wasn’t about me. I was happy to score again against Chelsea after the two I got against Liverpool but I never celebrated it differently from the other ones.

The goal you scored against Chelsea made you the first Watford player to score in five successive matches. Was setting this record on your mind before the start of the game?

It is always nice breaking and setting records but I don’t go into a match thinking about myself. I am happy to be given such accolade but this will only make me to work harder in subsequent matches. I am delighted with the feat and to break the record set by my teammate and friend, Troy Deeney is awesome but we will continue to work harder.

Did it ever occur to you and your teammates that Watford will go this far in the EPL this season with their present seventh position on the log?

To be candid we never saw this coming when we got promoted to the EPL at the end of last season but we have found ourselves in this position and we want to consolidate on it. We have had some unreal results but we won’t stop to think about them now. We want to concentrate on doing what we have been doing that has kept us thus far.

Your impressive performances for club and country have earned you a place in the Goal Nigeria Player of the Year nomination. How do you feel about this nomination?

I feel great. I thank Goal for counting me worthy of a place among the top 10 Nigerian players that excelled in the year under review and whether I win it or not I am just elated to be on the list. It has been a magnificent year for me and I can’t thank God enough.

You made your debut for the Eagles in 2015 among other landmark feats you recorded in the outgoing year, will you say that 2015 has been a special year for you on a personal note?

I don’t know how best to describe 2015. It is my best season thus far as a professional and scoring over 10 goals in my debut season in the EPL has made it a turnaround season for me. I am indebted to God, my family, Nigerians and Watford for ensuring that I have had such a wonderful year.

What next for you in 2016?

I won’t shift focus and I don’t want to get tired of what I am doing. I will keep on working hard for both the Eagles and my club hoping that next year would be more profitable and exciting than 2015.

Watford captain Troy Deeney believes that Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo will stay with the Barclays Premier League outfit despite interests from clubs in England and Europe.

Ighalo has banged in 14 goals so far which has alerted some clubs in Europe with Atletico Madrid and AS Roma among the clubs reportedly seeking to add him to their squads.

He has netted 30 goals this calendar year and, alongside Deeney, has been at the forefront of Watford’s charge up the table.

Deeney believes the Super Eagles striker will not be moving in January as he is a big component in their aim to stay in the Premiership.

“He ain’t going in January. If no one wanted any of our players we’d be c**p. So, come and want him as much as you want but I know Gino [Pozzo, the Watford owner] and it just wouldn’t make sense,” Deeney told theguardian.com.

“Why would he sell a striker and want to stay in the league?

“The value of selling Odion for, what would he be worth? £20 million, £25 million? Or staying up and getting £200 million? Simple business maths, he’s not going to sell him. Odion doesn’t come in saying: ‘I want to leave.’ He’ll just keep doing what he’s doing. We just laugh at it.”

Watford are in eighth place on the Barclays Premier League log with 29 points after 19 match days.