LAGOS, NIGERIA (VOICE OF NAIJA) –Former Super Eagles striker, Odion Ighalo, has hinted at his retirement from professional football within the next three years.
The 34-year-old player, who made his senior debut for Nigeria in 2015, recently joined Al-Wehda in August 2023 after playing for Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League.
Ighalo’s notable performance during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia, where he scored five goals in seven games, played a crucial role in Nigeria’s achievement of a commendable third-place finish.
Following this accomplishment, he announced his departure from the national team.
However, Ighalo later returned to represent Nigeria in three appearances during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
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The striker’s last appearance in a Super Eagles jersey occurred in a match against Ghana at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja in 2022.
Unfortunately, the Nigerian team was unable to secure qualification for the World Cup in Qatar that year.
Throughout his career, Ighalo has made 37 appearances for Nigeria, scoring a total of 16 goals.
In an interview with Oma Sports TV, he expressed his views on the future, stating, “I don’t know when God says stop, but I know it’s not going to be more than three years before I stop. I’ve played for passion all my life, I have to play for money now,”
“I’m not one of those players that will say I am playing football for passion. I am playing for money; at the end of the day, it is about the money.
“See people that are going to Saudi Arabia, big players. Is Ronaldo still playing for passion? He has made more than 100 times what I have in my life, but he still went to Saudi. Do you want to tell me that is passion? No, it’s for money.