Ighalo

[marko]

Musa was free on goal, watched the replay a few times, all Ighalo had to do was square the ball, Musa would have finished, Ighalo went for the near corner and ended up in side netting, all strikers are selfish, that must be said!

Sorry but that was a dumb play by Ighalo (whom I do appreciate as a player). Musa was open and clearly onside. The play for the early square cross was begging. Once Ighalo broke through and it was obviously a 2 v 1 deal, the next move should've been the cross in just inside the 18yd box but before the 6yd box leaving the goalie with zero chance to cut it off. But he decided to be greedy (clearly he saw Musa) and took 1 too many touches then took the shot from an ill advised angle perhaps after convincing himself that the window of opportunity was closed.

You expect Marko, who isn't the brightest crayon in the box, to recognize dumbness? O ma se o!

You keep on chasing me around CE it seems haha! all Ighalo had to do was square the ball and musa would have finished, choose to ignore this right??
sorry i cant teach you English, ask someone else

[theYemster]

that was shocking from Ighalo.

Bench him ?

hmm. Even in the few minutes Onuachu was on the pitch he displayed his poor lack of first touch.

I agree. Ighalo is still our best striker by a mile even with his stupidity today. At least until Osimehn fulfills his potential.

He has to play before he can fulfill it. Thankfully having qualified and looking all but sure to top the group, it might give Rohr the confidence to try him (and Onyekuru,, and Ezenwa) against Madagascar.

That said, I disagree that Ighalo is our best striker. He's out best targetman when mixing it up with physical defenders, and he is the best at playing with his back to goal and holding up play, however Osimhen is more clinical, and versatile. Heck even Musa when played up front, is more clinical than Ighalo who doesn't even pack a punch in his shots.

I could’ve sworn that Ighalo scored a bundle of goals that qualified us for this ANC. Scoring is more important than the ferocity of the shot. That said, Ighalo reminds me of Giroud in that his goals are almost a bonus as the expectation is primarily on his overall play upfront with respect to bringing others in play and creating spaces for midfielders to exploit either through passing or shooting through his movement, workrate and holdup play. He will chip in with goals but that’s a small piece of what he does compared to the comprehensive view.

He's gotten the most opportunity so it makes sense he's scored the most goals of the lot. That doesn't mean he's the best. As I mentioned he has his strengths, one of which is his physicality and hold up play as a targetman, which makes him match up well in some games/teams like today's. However, as far as best striker goes, he's not as clinical as some of the others.

And I still stand by my earlier position that he's more effective when he comes off the bench after the defenders have possibly tired some.

Chief Ighalo is the best Striker we have now,like Oga G4L said he is similar to Giroud,very good player but people don't see his other aspect he brings to the team.

Striker is different from targetman. He's the best targetman but not the best striker. And I didn't say he's not a good striker, I just don't think he's the best we have.

[theYemster]

I just saw the highlights of the game and one moment stuck out to me. In the first half, we had a break away with Ighalo and Musa. All Ighalo had to do was pass to Musa for a wide open net and he chose to shoot into the side netting. What the hell was that? I think he needs to be benched again due to that one error, because that was a guaranteed goal.

This type of selfishness is like a cancer that can screw up the team, and that should not be allowed.

TWO REASONS IGHALO MAY NOT HAVE PASSED (AS I SAW IT)


1) With Guinean defenders swarming the box, a pass to Musa may have been intercepted.
2) Go back to the tape: a pass to Musa could have resulted in an offside infraction.
Bell

More about this, go take a look at England's second goal against Norway at the women's world cup. Exactly the same scenario with Ighalo, same options, different choice, different outcome.

Also remember back in 93, during a USA 94 WCQ against CIV in Abidjan, Samson Siasia was in the exact same position and didn't pass to a better positioned Yekini to score what wouldve been a second goal to go 2-0 up, he instead made the same decision as Ighalo, also like Ighalo he failed to score and Nigeria went from winning to losing the match. Going forward Westerhof promptly benched him for Amokachi who seized the opportunity and never looked back.

Ighalo is extremely fortunate Nigeria still won the match or else he would've received more blowback.

[pajimoh]

We've settled for Ighalo's mediocrity, apparently that's the best we've got.

We've not had a prolific striker for a while and we've slowly lowered our expectation and that has been labelled "our best".

Nigeria's reputation in days gone by used to be flying wingers and prolific forward combination. Alas...

[marko]

We've settled for Ighalo's mediocrity, apparently that's the best we've got.

We've not had a prolific striker for a while and we've slowly lowered our expectation and that has been labelled "our best".

Nigeria's reputation in days gone by used to be flying wingers and prolific forward combination. Alas...

due to the same reasons i have been complaining about for years, the talent will always be in Nigeria! finding and building on the talent are different things, had high hopes for Ihenacho, what happened there?

[Scipio Africanus]

Musa was free on goal, watched the replay a few times, all Ighalo had to do was square the ball, Musa would have finished, Ighalo went for the near corner and ended up in side netting, all strikers are selfish, that must be said!

Sorry but that was a dumb play by Ighalo (whom I do appreciate as a player). Musa was open and clearly onside. The play for the early square cross was begging. Once Ighalo broke through and it was obviously a 2 v 1 deal, the next move should've been the cross in just inside the 18yd box but before the 6yd box leaving the goalie with zero chance to cut it off. But he decided to be greedy (clearly he saw Musa) and took 1 too many touches then took the shot from an ill advised angle perhaps after convincing himself that the window of opportunity was closed.

Good points. And we wonder why we have problems scoring. Victor Moses did dis nonsense taya in the last WC, shooting from tight angles rather than play in a runner or square the damned ball.

It is a mentality problem.

Victor Moses was the worst. I’m happy he’s no longer on the team, because he was just useless.

I will go as far as to say that VM single handedly cost us at least a point against Croatia. I actually stopped watching the match in frustration.

[gochino]

I think there was a similar case in 2010 WC were Osaze refused passing to Martins against Argentina.

[Scipio Africanus]

I think there was a similar case in 2010 WC were Osaze refused passing to Martins against Argentina.

I remember that very well. Almost broke my TV in anger. No be today.

[maceo4]

I think there was a similar case in 2010 WC were Osaze refused passing to Martins against Argentina.

I remember that very well. Almost broke my TV in anger. No be today.

And he gave Martins a dirty look for daring to yell at him lol.

[Damunk]

Ighalo is extremely fortunate Nigeria still won the match or else he would've received more blowback.

Musa asked him what the hell he was doing not squaring the ball for the tap in.
If you lip read Ighalo's response, it looks like he said "I didn't look up".

[Rawlings]

3 matches against Chinese-like opposition and just one goal

[Sir V]

Ighalo is not an intelligent striker. The guy makes me sick.

[Aswani]

Ighalo is not an intelligent striker. The guy makes me sick.

It starts from up front. I watched a lot of National League matches in the 80's and Ighalo would not get into any of the Division 1 teams I saw play.

He has a terrible touch yet he wants to bring every ball under control.

Spain played without a top 9 for ages, we are not Spain but we can do the same.

[Zelex]

Was he really that bad against Madagascar? I would have given him a 5/10. The effort was there but he lacks the consistency in his ability to provide quality moments. I've never really been a fan of Ighalo but he is probably the best the SE have right now. It's up to the other players to take their chances and push him out of the starting line-up.

[airwolex]

Was he really that bad against Madagascar? I would have given him a 5/10. The effort was there but he lacks the consistency in his ability to provide quality moments. I've never really been a fan of Ighalo but he is probably the best the SE have right now. It's up to the other players to take their chances and push him out of the starting line-up.

He is the best we have sha...but kai, to be pocketed by a 5th division player. He couldn't have slept much.

[danfo driver]

Ighalo is not an intelligent striker. The guy makes me sick.

[danfo driver]

Was he really that bad against Madagascar? I would have given him a 5/10. The effort was there but he lacks the consistency in his ability to provide quality moments. I've never really been a fan of Ighalo but he is probably the best the SE have right now. It's up to the other players to take their chances and push him out of the starting line-up.

He is the best we have sha...but kai, to be pocketed by a 5th division player. He couldn't have slept much.

he is NOT the best we have.

[K]

Musa was free on goal, watched the replay a few times, all Ighalo had to do was square the ball, Musa would have finished, Ighalo went for the near corner and ended up in side netting, all strikers are selfish, that must be said!

Sorry but that was a dumb play by Ighalo (whom I do appreciate as a player). Musa was open and clearly onside. The play for the early square cross was begging. Once Ighalo broke through and it was obviously a 2 v 1 deal, the next move should've been the cross in just inside the 18yd box but before the 6yd box leaving the goalie with zero chance to cut it off. But he decided to be greedy (clearly he saw Musa) and took 1 too many touches then took the shot from an ill advised angle perhaps after convincing himself that the window of opportunity was closed.

You expect Marko, who isn't the brightest crayon in the box, to recognize dumbness? O ma se o!

You keep on chasing me around CE it seems haha! all Ighalo had to do was square the ball and musa would have finished, choose to ignore this right??
sorry i cant teach you English, ask someone else

That pass was actually better if made to Iwobi at the edge of the box. See how Morroco did it, or was it Tunisia?

[Aswani]

With the fast wingers we have we need a proper goal poacher, this fella is not a good fit for this team at all.

For example, sometime in the second half, a cross came in and he toppled over himself in the 6 yard box. He never seems to make space for himself when there is a cross coming in or positions himself in a manner that suggests he would be a threat attacking the ball.

I would rather we had a false 9 of three fluid players in Musa, Chukwueze and Moses Simon regularly interchanging than him.

Someone needs to show him videos of Iorfa, Yekini, Ozogula, Monday Odiaka or Charles Okonkwo leading a line and attacking a ball.

Regardless, I am still hopeful he would come good at some point.

[Bigpokey24]

Ighalo was vs SA

[maceo4]

With the fast wingers we have we need a proper goal poacher, this fella is not a good fit for this team at all.

For example, sometime in the second half, a cross came in and he toppled over himself in the 6 yard box. He never seems to make space for himself when there is a cross coming in or positions himself in a manner that suggests he would be a threat attacking the ball.

I would rather we had a false 9 of three fluid players in Musa, Chukwueze and Moses Simon regularly interchanging than him.

Someone needs to show him videos of Iorfa, Yekini, Ozogula, Monday Odiaka or Charles Okonkwo leading a line and attacking a ball.

Regardless, I am still hopeful he would come good at some point.

He never anticipates or makes the needed runs, like that play you are talking about, he kept waiting for some sort of cut back which would be impossible as there was not a clear passing lane between Samu and the position he took, and once Samu beat his man it became clear where the passing lane would be, he just needed to keep up with Samu rather than being so static and waiting in a none existent passing lane. As static as he likes to be he can't keep up with the likes of Musa and Samu and thats a big problem.

[Robbynice]

3 matches against Chinese-like opposition and just one goal

I miss Rawlings mehn...This was before the second round game vs Cameroon too...

[BAP]

With the fast wingers we have we need a proper goal poacher, this fella is not a good fit for this team at all.

For example, sometime in the second half, a cross came in and he toppled over himself in the 6 yard box. He never seems to make space for himself when there is a cross coming in or positions himself in a manner that suggests he would be a threat attacking the ball.

I would rather we had a false 9 of three fluid players in Musa, Chukwueze and Moses Simon regularly interchanging than him.

Someone needs to show him videos of Iorfa, Yekini, Ozogula, Monday Odiaka or Charles Okonkwo leading a line and attacking a ball.

Regardless, I am still hopeful he would come good at some point.

He never anticipates or makes the needed runs, like that play you are talking about, he kept waiting for some sort of cut back which would be impossible as there was not a clear passing lane between Samu and the position he took, and once Samu beat his man it became clear where the passing lane would be, he just needed to keep up with Samu rather than being so static and waiting in a none existent passing lane. As static as he likes to be he can't keep up with the likes of Musa and Samu and thats a big problem.