By Daily Sports on February 25, 2016
Nigeria U23 coach Samson Siasia has announced Watford striker Odion Ighalo will be one of Nigeria’s three approved over age players at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro later this year.
Ighalo, who featured for the country at the 2009 FIFA U20 World Cup and made his debut for the senior national team in 2015, is yet to state his intentions to represent the country at the Olympics in Rio.
“I won’t shift focus and I don’t want to get tired of what I am doing. I will keep on working hard for both the Eagles and my club hoping that next year would be more profitable and exciting than 2015,” Ighalo told Goal.
The 26-year-old who was recently voted Goal Nigeria player of the Year 2015 and named Premier League Player of the Month for December has scored 15 goals for the Hornets in the 2015/2016 season.
The former Super Eagles gaffer stated that he opted for Ighalo seeing his impressive goalscoring form and amazing personality.
“We need him to score goals for us. Odion is the only Super Eagles player playing and scoring goals in the Premiership,” Siasia told media in Abuja.
“Everybody is looking at him and he is a good boy, gentle and disciplined. I can tell you that if he is in good shape when we want to go to the tournament, he will of course be one of the players we want to pick. We need somebody like him to score for us.”
The Dream Team VI trainer further noted that he is undecided over who to pick for the remaining overage players slot citing state of form but has handed Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi a lifeline.
“I have some players I am thinking about but the truth is that since the tournament is still six months away, we have to be cautious because the form of the players would be a factor.
“We cannot pick players who are in form now only for them to lose form in August.” (Goal.com)
•Photo shows Odion Ighalo.
Source Daily Sports
Posted February 25, 2016
You may also like...
Ajibade Babalade’s Death, Untimely, Painful — 3SC
Adesanya knocks Pereira out, reclaims UFC middleweight title...
Ruthless Man City Put Five Past Newcastle
Danger averted as lifeguards rescue swimming national record...
Eagles battle Cheetahs for 2025 AFCON ticket
Rev. Mother Ajayi Challenges Well-Meaning Nigerians and Organizations...

Nnadozie tops WSL keepers’ chart
FULL LIST: Unai Simón joins World Cup clean-sheet greats as Barthez, Shilton remain joint leaders
Ashe declares readiness for Commonwealth Games
Amusan secures 2026 Diamond League final spot
Nigerians demand NFF overhaul after Eagles’ W’Cup absence
France, Spain battle for place in World Cup final
NSC hails Junior D’Tigers after AfroBasket qualification
Nigeria beat Burundi in Billie Jean King Cup opener
Falcons storm Casablanca camp ahead of WAFCON
Nwabali returns to Chippa United
I won’t let Pillars down – Ogunmodede
NSC allays fears over Chelle’s Eagles future
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,952 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,292 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (53,204 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,810 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,694 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,562 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,451 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,968 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (51,186 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,653 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (48,131 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,520 views)