Tag: Ighalo

• Says senior national team played well
against Cameroon

Watford of England striker, Odion Jude Ighalo has expressed delight at his second goal for the Super Eagles and has decided to dedicate it to God who guided him to add to his tally on his return to the senior national team in the 3-0 whitewash of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in Brussels, Belgium on Sunday.

Ighalo’s omission from the Eagles in the last 2017 AFCON qualifier against Tanzania generated a lot of mixed reactions from Nigerians and the striker who has five EPL goals this season never disappointed when he grabbed the Eagles’ third goal in the 88th minute of the match against the tamed Cameroonians.

The former Lyn Oslo and Udinese forward told SportingLife from his base that he was delighted that he was on the scoresheet and that the Eagles bounced back impressively against Cameroon after the 2-0 loss to the Leopards of Congo DR in the first friendly match played in Belgium.

Ighalo said the team played very well throughout the Sunday tie to cap the three goals got against the Indomitable Lions as against the uninspiring performance against Congo DR.

He called for patience on the part of Nigerians adding that with more games, the Eagles will gradually play with more fluidity and confidence that will attract good results.

“I am happy to score my second goal for the Eagles and to crown it all the team played very well as against the game we played against Congo DR. I dedicate my goal to God who has been watching over me and keeping me strong in my chosen field. We need more time and games together for the team to properly blend and gel together.

“We need Nigerians behind us and they need to be patient with the national team. We need their support every time, especially when things are rough,” Ighalo told SportingLife.

Ighalo, who returned back to England on Monday told SportingLife that he  resumed light training yesterday with his team mates in Watford ahead of their weekend blockbuster with Arsenal at the Vicarage Road Stadium.

He said he would start full training session today and that he hopes to keep himself injury free so as to be available for the tie with the London giants.

Watford are 12th on the EPL with 10 points from eight matches and they held AFC Bournemouth to a 1-1 draw in the last league encounter before the international break with Ighalo scoring his side’s equaliser in the match. It was his fifth goal of the campaign from eight matches.

NIGERIA striker Odion Ighalo gave Watford their first win in the EPL this season to celebrate his new five-year contract in fine style.

Ighalo scored in the 59th minute with an assist from skipper Troy Deeney to give his promoted club their first full points in the English top flight.

It was his second goal in the EPL having scored on the opening day against Everton on his debut in the English top flight.

Watford did well to hang on to that lead despite playing a man short after 64 minutes, when Valon Behrami was sent off.

The win has moved Watford to 17th place on the table with four points.

On Friday, Watford announced Ighalo has agreed a new five-year deal that will keep the 26-year-old forward at the club till 2020.

Watford striker, Odion Jude Ighalo has stated that his compatriots at Manchester City, Kelechi Iheanacho is destined to make it to the top having watched the former Junior international in action in few of his training sessions with the former EPL champions.

Ighalo in a chat with SportingLife said he was marvelled at Iheanacho’s football sense and that ahead of his club’s match with Manchester City on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium said that he was not surprised that his club has decided to promote him to the senior team.

The former U23 captain however counselled the youth prodigy to keep his head bow and continue to learn the rudiments under Machester City coach, Manuel Pellegrini and other star players at the club.

“I have not actually spoken with him like that but I can say that Kelechi is a player with very good prospect and the sky will be his limit if he continues with his development at Manchester City.

“I have seen him in Manchester and I have also watched a couple of his training sessions.He is very good lad and with amazing skills. He is a player for the future if he stays humble and continue learning under his coach at Manchester City,” Ighalo told SportingLife.

Ighalo nonetheless spoke about Watford EPL MatchDay 4 tie with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday stating that even though football purists have given the tie to their foes because of City’s electrifying start to the season, but that they are with a chance to shock the reigning league leaders.

Odion Ighalo has admitted that he was a bit lucky with the goal he scored against Everton at Goodison Park on the opening weekend of the 2015/16 Barclays English Premier League season.

The striker netted in the 83rd minute in exemplary fashion to temporarily give Watford a 2-1 lead over Everton before Aruna Kone rescued a point for the Toffees with a late strike.

Ighalo has now taken the time to discuss his goals as well as share his sentiments on Watford’s prospects in the new season.

“As a striker I want to score goals, so (the goal I scored against Everton) will give me confidence to fight on and score more,” Ighalo said, speaking exclusively to Hornets PlayerHD.

Ighalo took highly-rated defender, John Stones to the cleaners enroute the goal but insisted that apart from endeavor and intelligence, luck also had a great part to play in the actions leading to the exhilarating strike.

“I saw John Stones come towards me so I had to cut in, and I saw another defender coming in, so I knew if I took the shot then it would be blocked. I was lucky I did what I did, and I was happy to see the ball go in.

“We could have come away with the three points, but we were unlucky and we must learn that when we are playing in the Premier League you have to fight to the end,” he reflected.

“I’m happy with the performance of the team, it will give us more confidence going forward to help us do well. It is encouraging because you could see that we fought from the first minute to the last, especially playing against a good time like Everton, and a point we can be happy with.

“We just have to learn from this, and try not to concede late on next time, but we really worked hard,” Ighalo said.

Ighalo’s form in 2015 is fearsome as has scored the most goals (17) of any player in England’s top four tiers in the calendar year.

Watford striker, Odion Jude Ighalo has told SportingLife that he is looking forward to the reunion between him and West Bromwich Albion’s Brown Ideye when the two clash on Saturday in the Matchday 2 of the English Premier League (EPL).

Ighalo and his Watford side held Everton to a draw at the Goodison Park last week and they will be seeking their first home win of the season at the Vicarage Road on Saturday.

The Super Eagles’ forward will face his other two Nigerian compatriots, Peter Anichebe and Ideye and he has told SportingLife

that brotherhood and friendship would be secondary when both teams clash and that he would be as professional as possible throughout the

duration of the encounter.

Ighalo recalled he and Ideye’s frolics at the Ajegunle’s Maracana

Stadium but he said ensuring that Watford beat West Brom would be uppermost on his mind when the game kicks off and that at the end of the game their friendship would be rekindled.

“I am eagerly looking forward to the game with West Brom this weekend.

Ideye is my very good friend and we grew up together and played at the Ajegunje popular pitch called Maracana Stadium.

“There won’t be friendship on Saturday till after the game when we will see to recall old memories. We are eager to play the first competitive match before our fans and we are hoping that it ends in a win.

“It will be a difficult match but we won’t be intimidated at all as we

are hoping to record a win and make bold statement that our draw at Everton was no fluke,” Ighalo told SportingLife.

The former U23 captain started the EPL season with a bang when he netted one of his club’s two goals at the Goodison Park against Everton where they picked a draw on their return game to the English top flight.

The English Premier League has acknowl-edged that Nigeria international  Odion Ighalo is the leading scorer in the top four divisions in England in 2015.

The Watford striker capped off a fine performance on his Premier League debut by scoring in the 83rd minute in the Hornets 2-2 draw with Everton on Saturday.

That goal at Goodison Park was his 17th for Watford since the start of this year, more than two of the feared marksmen in the Premier League, Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) and Diego Costa (Chelsea).

“Watford’s @ighalojude has scored 17 goals in 2015, more than any other player in English football’s top 4 tiers,” the Premier League said on Twitter.

The 26 – year – old also scored in his maiden appearance for Lyn Oslo in the Norwegian Premier League back in 2007.