Is Ighalo’s Missionary Journey Back To Eagles Necessary?

The whole story surrounding former Eagles’ player and skipper, Odion Ighalo, returning to the Super Eagles sounds funny and retrogressive. Although the player who has been put under pressure by the President of the NFF Amaju Pinnick and the Coach of the Eagles, Gernot Rohr to return Ighalo for the Qatar 2022 Mundial qualification matches against Liberia and Cape Verde later this month has been described as a misnomer taking the country’s football aback for no just reason by football pundits!

Ighalo who had retired from the Eagles in 2019 is also gearing up for these aforementioned matches and perhaps to be part of the AFCON tournament billed for Cameroon and the FIFA World Cup slated for Qatar same year.

It could be recalled too that a similar invitation was extended to Ighalo sometimes in the past and the Edo State-born forward argued over his safety complaining that his life was at risk as some Nigerians were still angry with him for missing a world cup goal.

It is surprising that it’s this same Ighalo that has made Rohr’s 24 – man list submitted to the football federation; although, with the consent and approval of Pinnick, who actually started the politics of returning Ighalo back to the Eagles. I don’t actually understand the functions of Rohr in the Eagles, little wonder the German-born manager had always been treated with kid gloves each time he deserves a reprimand.

The Eagles manager has always been in a fix each time he’s to prosecute an important match either in Nigeria or away, it is a pointer to the fact that he has no team on the ground. This fact, Pinnick cannot shy away from.

Rohr is not confident of his team and he does not believe in himself; the reason he has allowed the leadership of the Glasshouse to decide who makes his team list under controversial circumstances in any given match – competitive or friendly!

It’s unfortunate that our football has been hijacked by tribal sentiment, nepotism, self-aggrandisement, and all negative influence capable of destroying our football in a short term as the happenings today are being witnessed are better imagined than coming to play.

The Saudi Arabia league where Ighalo is currently playing his football career is not the kind of league in Europe where most Nigerian professionals are based and are currently doing exploits, especially in the area of scoring goals.

I am not going to mention names here as far as the attack of the Eagles is concerned. The attackers as it was don’t get feeds from the midfield and this situation had caused a goal drought for the team in recent times.

This second missionary journey of Ighalo to the Eagles is unnecessary. It’s proof of the weakness of Rohr and I pray Ighalo does not disappoint himself; because yours truly does not see anything fantastic he is going to contribute to making his return relevant. I wish it was the time he was playing in the British Premiership, the case would have been better. Here wishes are not horses that men would ride!

The unholy NFF collaboration with Rohr in the recent past had always shown glaringly anytime Nigeria will engage in a crucial match, anytime he’s being owed accumulated salaries or on issues affecting his welfare or the team where he is expected to speak out, you can hardly see or hear Rohr talk. A man of this nature will never find the best for himself and the team he leads! I can’t wait to see the gone era of 1994 fame with the Eagles! Thank God it’s a world without end. Amen. Good Morning Nigeria!

*Independent