Manchester United of England striker, Odion Jude Ighalo has confessed that one big factor that propelled him to call it quit with the Super Eagles was the difficulties he was facing in having to fly long distance from his former base in China to honour national team invitations, megasportsarena.com reports.
In what could be the first hint of a likely return to the Nigerian squad, as he is now playing closer to Nigeria in England, on loan from Shanghai Shenhua of China, Ighalo revealed that he actually called time on his international career after winning the top scorer’s award at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt because he was fed up with trunk travels from The Oriental Nation.
The Nigerian under-20 side, Flying Eagles’ captain at Egypt 2009 World Youth Championship, who made his full debut for the senior team in a friendly against Uganda in March 2015, did not state categorically that he is thinking of making u-turn over his decision to retire from national team duties, but a lot of speculation is sure to rise up following his exposé.
That would be because most Nigerians actually thought Ighalo, who scored 15 goals in 34 games, decided to quit because of repeated criticism he was facing from insatiable football fans and that he wanted to give room to younger players to also make their marks in the squad, as he is now 30-years-old, but a different angle has now cropped up in the story.
However, it might not be such a straightforward move by Ighalo, who has played eight games in total for United and scored four goals, yet admitted how much he regrets not netting against Chelsea on his debut at Stamford Bridge on February 17, as he insists he made the right decision in quitting the Eagles when the ovation was loudest for him.
Ighalo told Ghanaian journalist Nana Anamoah: “It was a difficult decision because I love playing for my country. It’s a country that gave me everything I have today so anytime I am being called upon to play for my country it is a joy to play. That decision was difficult but I have to do it for my health for me to play longer in my club career, then I have to stop traveling very far.
“I needed to stop because it is too long from China to Nigeria for national team duties. I am not getting young again and we have lot of young exciting players coming up. Victor Osimhen doing so well, Iwobi and Chukwueze are there. I thought about it, (and I told myself) this is the right time for me to leave.”
