Former Flying Eagles
captain and Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo has revealed the real reason
he ended his international career with the Super Eagles.
Ighalo quit
international career shortly after winning the top scorer award at the 2019
Africa Cup of Nations.
The Shanghai
Shenhua-owned player says he had to concentrate on his club career because the
long distance from China to Nigeria and back whenever he was called up for
national team duties was wearing him out.
According to Ighalo
who was on Instagram Live with Ghanaian journalist Nana Aba Anamoah, said he
made the decision at the right time, pointing out that there are exciting young
players in the Super Eagles team.
“I got injured in
the third place game with Tunisia, in the first half I pulled my hamstring, I
have been having problems on that hamstring even before the tournament,” Ighalo
said.
“I needed to stop because
it is too long from China to Nigeria for national team duties, I am not getting
young again and we have lot of young exciting players coming up, Victor Osimhen
doing so well, Iwobi and Chukwueze are there.
“I thought about it,
this is the right time for me to leave.”
Ighalo added: “It
was a difficult decision because I love playing for my country, it’s a country
that gave me everything I have today so anytime I am being called upon to play
for my country it is a joy to play.
“That decision was
difficult but I have to do it for my health for me to play longer in my club
career, then I have to stop traveling very far.”
Ighalo made his full
debut for the Super Eagles in a friendly against Uganda in March 2015 and ended
his national team career with 15 goals in 34 games.
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