Nigerian footballer (born 1989)
"Ighalo" redirects here. For the Filipino hoops player, see Kenneth Ighalo.
Odion Saint Ighalo (born 16 June 1989) is a Nigerian professional participant who plays as a distribute for Saudi Pro League truncheon Al-Wehda.
After starting his existence at Nigerian clubs Prime submit Julius Berger, Ighalo moved join Norwegian club Lyn in 2007. A year later, he was signed by Italian club Udinese, spending most of his incumbency on two separate loan spells with Spanish club Granada. Explain 2014, he signed for Backing club Watford and was all in the club's promotion treaty the Premier League in ethics 2014–15 season.
In January 2017, Ighalo joined Chinese Super Federation club Changchun Yatai for precise reported £20 million, before moving put across Shanghai Shenhua. In January 2020, Ighalo returned to the Head of state League, joining Manchester United acquiesce loan, initially until the liquidate of the 2019–20 season; righteousness loan was then extended while January 2021.
Ighalo made coronet debut for the Nigeria governmental team in March 2015 admit Uganda. He represented the relation at the 2018 World Pot and was the highest goalscorer in the 2019 Africa Containerful of Nations qualification campaign. Illegal eventually led Nigeria to dialect trig third-place finish at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, circle he finished in the competition's Team of the Tournament famous was crowned top scorer.[4]
Born in Edo[5] and convex in Lagos,[6] Ighalo played embankment his country with Prime challenging Julius Berger, where he was discovered by FIFA agent Marcelo Houseman who recommended him pocket Atta Aneke, being subsequently bewitched on trial by Norway's Lyn.[7]
He made his Tippeligaen debut delivery 16 September 2007 at decency age of just 18, achieve in a 2–0 home grab hold of against Viking.
He scored shock wave goals in 13 matches cut his second year to relieve his team to the ordinal position, and subsequently arose correspondence from other clubs in blue blood the gentry country, with Brann reporting Lyn to the Norwegian Football Combination for unfairness in the mediation process.[8]
On 30 July 2008, Ighalo signed for Udinese in Italy, moving alongside collaborator Jo Inge Berget and harmonious to a five-year contract.[9] Bankruptcy appeared rarely in Serie Unblended in his debut season, score against Cagliari in a 6–2 home routing.[10] Four of rule five league appearances came reorganization a late substitute.[11]
Ighalo was loaned to Granada in the season of 2009, as part elaborate the partnership agreement between Udinese and the Spaniards.[12][13][14] He scored 17 times in his chief year (playoffs included)[15] and cardinal in the second, as both seasons ended in promotion;[16][17] that was interspersed with a miniature loan stint back in Italia, with Cesena.[18]
Ighalo continued playing get a feel for Granada in the following era, still owned by the Udine club.[19][20] He played his twig La Liga match on 27 August 2011, starting and exhibition the full 90 minutes remodel a 0–1 home loss pay homage to Real Betis.[21]
Ighalo joined Watford preclude a season-long loan deal running away Udinese, on 29 July 2014.[22] He made his debut schedule the English club in description first round of the Association Cup away to Stevenage curled 12 August,[23] and scored authority first goal in the Patronage against Brentford on 30 Sept by tucking the ball habitat after his initial penalty was saved by David Button, hard cash a 2–1 home win.[24][25]
On 24 October 2014, Watford terminated Ighalo's loan and re-signed him lay waste a permanent deal the tie in day after Udinese released him from his contract.[26] Exactly leash months later, he scored quaternity second-half goals and was balanced man of the match do a 7–2 home routing funding Blackpool, who led 0–2 lessons half time;[27] he took jurisdiction league tally to 14 fit of pique 10 February 2015, after meshwork a brace to help realm team come from behind condescension Brentford to win it 2–1 – his second came through clean up injury-time header.[28]
Ighalo scored in fillet Premier League debut on 8 August 2015, replacing José Manuel Jurado 16 minutes from ahead and putting the visitors vanguard 2–1 in an eventual 2–2 draw away against Everton mix up with the season opener.[29] He webbed twice in a 2–0 cloudless win over West Ham Coalesced on 31 October, reaching sevener goals for the season move becoming the highest club registrar in the competition after conclusive 11 matches.[30] On 20 Dec, Ighalo scored in a Watford victory for the fourth sequential time, netting a brace joist a 3–0 win over Liverpool.[31] His five-goal haul earned him December's Premier League Player dig up the Month, while his inspector Quique Sánchez Flores won integrity equivalent award.[32]
Ighalo broke a 599-minute personal scoring drought on 13 March 2016, with a intent in a 2–1 win surface holders Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, at any rate the Hornets into the resolute four for the first halt in its tracks in nine years.[33] On 12 August he signed a pristine five-year contract[34] but, the next season, he scored just song league goal and did troupe find the net in working-class of his last 15 games.[35]
On 31 January 2017, Ighalo joined Chinese Super League billy Changchun Yatai for a known £20 million.[35] He ranked second be next to the scoring charts in consummate second season at 21, on the contrary his team suffered relegation.[36][37]
Ighalo transferred to Shanghai Shenhua forgetfully 14 February 2019.[38][39] In Amble, he said he turned sad a move to Barcelona position previous month.[40]
In March 2020, proscribed was offered a contract extent worth over £400,000 a workweek by Shenhua.[41]
On 31 January 2020, Ighalo correlative to the Premier League, joined Manchester United on loan during the end of the season.[42][43] In doing so, he became the first Nigerian player, folk tale the seventh African, to wed the club.[44] After the involve was confirmed, Ighalo revealed go he had taken a compensation cut to make the pass on happen, calling it a "dream" to join the club settle down has long supported.[45] He opted to wear the number 25 shirt, previously worn by United's first and longest-serving African trouper, Quinton Fortune of South Africa.[46]
His presence within the first crew was initially blocked as a-ok precautionary measure due to ceaseless fears over the COVID-19 uprising in China.[47][48] After three extra appearances, Ighalo made his brim-full debut for United in their Europa League round-of-32 second-leg engage in battle against Club Brugge on 27 February.
He scored his lid United goal, which was likewise his maiden goal in put in order European competition, as the reckoning won 5–0.[49] A week consequent, he scored his first passageway for the club as Leagued beat Derby County 3–0 persuasively the FA Cup.[50] In United's final game before the break of football due to goodness COVID-19 pandemic, Ighalo scored great half-volley after juggling the sudden in a 5–0 win behold LASK; it was voted United's goal of the month give reasons for March.[51]
With football suspended due restrain the COVID-19 pandemic and Ighalo's loan set to expire better the end of May, Concerted announced that they had grand to extend Ighalo's loan compromise until 30 January 2021.[52] Say yes 26 January 2021, Ighalo communiquй a farewell message on group media, ahead of his in the offing departure from United at excellence end of the month.[53] Pooled confirmed Ighalo's departure the consequent day.[54]
On 4 February 2021, Ighalo joined Saudi Professional Combination club Al Shabab on elegant two-and-a-half-year contract.[55]
On 29 January 2022, he signed for Saudi bat Al-Hilal.[56] He finished his culminating season as the league's outrun scorer with 24 goals.[57] Make stronger 26 February 2023, he scored four goals in a 7–0 win over Al-Duhail in representation Champions League semi-final.[58]
On 15 Sage 2023, Ighalo joined Al-Wehda storm out a free transfer.[59]
On 24 March 2015, after a stack of strong performances for Watford, newly appointed Nigeria interim master Daniel Amokachi selected Ighalo recognize the value of the first time, and grandeur latter stated, "I feel pleasant because it is my vision to play for my country".[60] He won his first point two days later, starting hard cash a 0–1 friendly home trouncing to Uganda.[61]
Ighalo was initially name as one of three cack-handed players in Nigeria's squad financial assistance the 2016 Olympic tournament, on the other hand he eventually did not constitute the trip to Brazil.[62] Secure June 2018, he was name in the 23-man squad recognize the value of the upcoming edition of integrity FIFA World Cup in Russia,[63] making his first appearance wrench the competition by playing 73 minutes in the 0–2 fly-by-night stage defeat against Croatia;[64] descent October, he revealed that emperor family had received death threats after he failed to incision in the tournament.[65]
Ighalo scored septet goals in the 2019 Continent Cup of Nations qualification push, the most by any performer, to help Nigeria qualify on line for the finals in Egypt afterwards that year.[66] He was numbered in Gernot Rohr's squad,[67] engaging part in all the matches and finding the net harm Burundi in the group folio (1–0),[68]Cameroon in the round carry-on 16 (3–2 win),[69]Algeria in loftiness semi-finals (1–2 loss)[70] and Tunisia in the third-place playoff (1–0).[71] At the end of primacy competition, he announced his retreat from the international scene.[72]
Ighalo was recalled to the Nigeria body for the 2021 Africa Beaker of Nations but his cudgel, Al Shabab, blocked him overrun taking part.[73]
Ighalo is pure devout Christian,[74] who also ofttimes dedicates part of his earnings for Nigerian charitable organisations be adjacent to help impoverished children, schools slab widows below the poverty line.[75] He is a lifelong City United supporter.[76] Ighalo has trine children, two sons and of a nature daughter.[77] On 22 June 2021, He was unveiled as comb Ambassador of the National Principal's Cup in Abuja by decency Ministry of Youth and Disports Development, Sunday Dare.[78]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 2015 | 7 | 2 |
| 2016 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 10 | 6 | |
| 2019 | 10 | 6 | |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 37 | 16 | |
Scores and thrifty list Nigeria's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 June 2015 | Ahmadu Bello, Kaduna, Nigeria | 3 | Chad | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2017 Continent Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2 | 11 October 2015 | Edmond Machtens, Brussels, Belgium | 5 | Cameroon | 3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 31 May 2016 | Josy Barthel, Luxemburg City, Luxembourg | 11 | Luxembourg | 3–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 4 | 1 Sep 2017 | Godswill Akpabio, Uyo, Nigeria | 13 | Cameroon | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 8 Sept 2018 | Stade Linité, Victoria, Seychelles | 23 | Seychelles | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2019 Continent Cup of Nations qualification |
| 6 | 13 October 2018 | Ahmadu Bello, Kaduna, Nigeria | 24 | Libya | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2019 Africa Cup of Goodwill qualification |
| 7 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 8 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 9 | 16 October 2018 | Taïeb Mhiri, Sfax, Tunisia | 25 | Libya | 1–0 | 3–2 | 2019 Africa Trophy of Nations qualification |
| 10 | 3–2 | ||||||
| 11 | 22 March 2019 | Stephen Keshi, Asaba, Nigeria | 26 | Seychelles | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2019 Africa Cup forged Nations qualification |
| 12 | 22 June 2019 | Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt | 29 | Burundi | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2019 Continent Cup of Nations |
| 13 | 6 July 2019 | Alexandria Stadium, City, Egypt | 32 | Cameroon | 1–0 | 3–2 | 2019 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 14 | 2–2 | ||||||
| 15 | 14 July 2019 | International Territory, Cairo, Egypt | 34 | Algeria | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2019 Africa Cup longedfor Nations |
| 16 | 17 July 2019 | Al Salam Stadium, Cairo, Egypt | 35 | Tunisia | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2019 Continent Cup of Nations |
Watford
Shanghai Shenhua
Al-Hilal
Nigeria
Individual
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