Semi Ajayi’s departure from Rotherham to Championship side West Brom “is a massive blow for” the Millers says Head Coach Paul Warne.
Shanghai Shenhua forward Odion Ighalo has apologized to the fans following the injury copped while on his “last international competition” for his national team.
Kelechi Iheanacho got another 45 minutes of pre-season action under belt, following up Tuesday’s game against Scunthorpe with Saturday’s action against Cheltenham.
Allegations of medical negligence against the University Teaching Hospital of Ibadan is the latest in the case of former Rivers Angel goal keeper Bidemi Aluko, who is fighting for her life after she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
D’Tigers Head Coach Alex Nwora has arrived San Domingo with 15 players for the two-legged test match with fellow World Cup-bound Dominican Republic on the 20th and 22nd of July.
Odion Ighalo’s performance for the super Eagles in the last 14 months has been superb and him and his last national team coach Gernot Rohr must be credited for that.
The striker endured series of criticisms and insults from Nigerian football faithfuls following his uninspired performance at the Russia 2018 World Cup, after his misses against Argentina went on to cost Nigeria a place in the round of 16.
However, he bounced back to help Nigeria return to the AFCON in 2019 after missing the last two editions, by scoring seven goals during the qualifiers to finish as top scoere .
At the tournament proper, the Chinese based attacker equalled Rashidi Yekini’s five goals record in a single tournament and walked away with the tournament‘s golden boot to join Rashidi Yekini, Segun Odegbami, Julius Aghahowa, Emmanuel Emenike as the only Nigerians who has won the prestigious award.
However, one man must be credited for this and it’s Gernot Rohr, the Franco-German tactician refused to be bullied by some section of media who asked for the striker to be dropped from the team , after his disgraceful outing in Russia.
Rohr took the 30-yearold attacker under his wings and shielded him after he was made the scapegoat for the team’s exit from the World Cup and rejected his pleads to quit the national team untimely.
Rohr helped Ighalo not to suffer like Sani Kaita and Yakubu Aiyegbeni who were made scapegoat for Nigeria’s ouster from 2010 world cup in South Africa.
Kaita was sent off in Nigeria‘s 2-1 loss to Greece, after kicking out on a Greek player , while Aiyegbeni missed from six yards with empty net at his mercy in Nigeria‘s last game against South Korea.
The two players went on to suffer humilations alongside with families, with Sanni Keita confirming a death threat messages from unidentified people.
Aiyegbeni and Kaita later left the national team unceremoniously, but Ighalo had a second chance to redeemed himself from mortal villain to an unforgettable hero, thanks to Gernot Rohr.
It’s no longer news that 2019 highest goals scorer, Odion Ighalo has decided to call it quit with the national team, but the timing of his decision has left many asking questions.
brila.net understands that the 30-year-old forward would have love to continue with the Super Eagles, but the constant insults and criticisms levelled against him in difficult spell has made his place untenable in the team.
Ighalo missed glorious chances in Nigeria’s 2018 world cup last group game against the Albaceste of Argentina, the misses went on to cost the Country a place in the round of 16 of the competition, as Argentina came back to snatched the round of 16 tickets with a winning goal .
However, Nigerians singled out the former Watford striker for the World Cup failure , and insults were directed towards him and his family on social media .
The player wanted to dump the national team back then , but Coach Gernot Rohr persuaded him to prolong his decision, before the player hit form at the right time, as his seven goals in the qualifiers returned Nigeria to the African Cup of Nations in Egypt after missing the last two editions in 2015 and 2017 respectively.
In Egypt, Ighalo was on the lips of everyone once again for the wrong reasons, after he failed to score against the country‘s group opponents in Guinea and Madagascar.
The criticisms levelled against the former Udinese man after thesetwo games , led to his decision to leave and concentrate on his club career in future, this time after a lengthy chat with the head coach Gernot Rohr.
Ighalo however bows out of the national team with a golden boot of African Cup of Nations to name , after scoring five goals to claim the honour and he leaves as seventh on the list of all time top scorers for the Super Eagles
Forward Odion Ighalo has quit national team duties, few hours after emerging as the highest goals scorer of the 2019 African Cup of Nations in Egypt.
The player became the second influential player to leave the national after Captain John Mikel Obi also called it quit after the Country‘s third place win over Carthage Eagles of Tunisia on Wednesday.
The Shanghai Shenhua star made his senior debut during an international friendly match against Uganda in March 2015, went onplay in one World Cup and African Cup of Nation in Russia and Egypt respectively.
After 35 matches and 16 goals, the 30-year-old took the decision to bow out for younger ones to ‘learn and grow’.
“This is one of the most difficult career decisions I have had to take. It’s been an amazing 5 years journey, but after due consultation and extensive discussion with my family I have decided it’s time for me to retire from the national team,” Ighalo wrote on Instagram.
“It has been an eventful and most memorable opportunity to serve my country with pride, passion and to contribute my quota to the development of our football, the memories would stay with me for a long time and I’m immensely grateful.
“It is now time to concentrate on club football and give the younger players chance to learn and grow. I would love to thank the NFF, coach Gernot Rohr for believing in me against all odds, to my teammates for their professionalism and team spirit, without you guys I wouldn’t have achieved so much with this team.
“To Nigerian football fans all over the world, I say thank you, you were always there to cheer us on and our 12th player every time we step onto the pitch. I will be watching and cheering the Super Eagles from this side. Thank you… Signing out.”
Ighalo won the golden boot at just concluded African Cup of Nations in Egypt and ranked seventh on the list of top scorers for the Super Eagles.