Ighalo happy to score against Cameroon
Watford of England striker Odion Ighalo has expressed delight to have scored his second international goal for the Super Eagles in Nigeria’s 3-0 trouncing of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroun on Sunday night.
The Hornets forward who has scored five goals in the Premier League this season, said after the game thatý the win will boost the team’s confidence going into the next game.
The Eagles will likely face Swaziland in a 2018 World Cup qualifier in their next game in Novemberý and Ighalo thinks the prospect of featuring at the Mundial in Russia is enough motivation ahead of the fixture.
“I’m happy to get a goal ýbut most importantly the win has doused a lot of tension and you can see from the way the team celebrated every goal shows that with peace in camp we can conquer,” Ighalo said.
Ighalo who headed home Elderson Echiejile’s perfect cross in the closing stages of the game also admitted he wasn’t at his best in the Eagles 2-0 loss to Congo last Thursday.
“It wasn’t my day and I guess that was why I lost my place (to Emmanuel Emenike) in the starting line-up against Cameroun,” he added.
“There’s still more work to be done to sustain the tempo which coach Sunday Oliseh demands from the team.
“We have more work to do because the coach’s style involves you staying mentally alert for quick reactions.
“We know what is at stake and I believe everybody wants to be at the World Cup so that’s a motivation on its own.”
Meanwhile, former Minister of Sports Col. Musa Mohammed (rtd) yesterday told Daily Trust that the 2017 African Cup of Nations and 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers would offer the best opportunities to fully assess progress or otherwise being made by Super Eagles manager Sunday Oliseh.
The ex-Yobe State Military Administrator added that he was impressed by the Eagles showing in the 3-0 triumph over Cameroun in Sunday’s friendly.
“To be honest I was impressed with the game which was a superior showing to the Congo match but in my opinion we should all wait till after the qualifiers before we could have a full grasp of Oliseh’s Eagles in its entirety” Mohammed said.