Odion Ighalo’s Nigeria returns dominated pre-match discussions before Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Liberia, and for good reason.
The talking points focused on but weren’t limited to; why the Al Shabab striker was recalled after over two years away, the threat of disrupting the harmony in the squad, and the inclusion of the 32-year-old at the expense of forwards believed to be deserving of a spot in the 24-man squad.
Of course, Victor Osimhen was always likely to start and the Napoli frontman welcomed the return of his ‘big brother’ to the Super Eagles.
“It’s good for the team. The coach and the federation know what’s best for the team. We welcome him with open arms and we are looking forward to receiving him in camp,” Osimhen told NFF TV before the weekend’s clash.
“As I said before, he is like a big brother to me and I love him so much. I learn a lot of things from him and it is important to have him in the team.
“We all have a common goal to qualify for the World Cup and do well at the Afcon. Whatever is good for the team, I think the coach and the federation will bring it into play.”
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Many observers wondered how much game time Ighalo would get against the Lone Stars, but those questions became irrelevant when the former Watford frontman’s tardiness got in the way, as he reportedly arrived late for a team meeting.
There’s a sense the German boss is infatuated with the experienced frontman, so some still posited match action was a possibility owing to the manager’s fondness for the striker.
This would have raised eyebrows due to the standard that was set in October’s internationals with Maduka Okoye.
The Sparta Rotterdam goalkeeper was a late arrival before the ill-fated defeat by the Central African Republic in Lagos and was dropped for Francis Uzoho.
It was a huge call at the time, particularly as Okoye’s the undisputed Super Eagles number one and Uzoho hadn’t started a game for the national side since a dead rubber Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Lesotho in March.
Indeed, the last time the 23-year-old started in a game that mattered was way back in 2019 where he came in for the Third place play-off win over Tunisia.
In a sense, last month’s call set the standard and it would have been unseemly to alter seemingly set rules for a player who hadn’t played for the side since that encounter with the Carthage Eagles two years back.
Rohr not only left Ighalo out of the XI, but he also excluded the ex-Manchester United man from the squad altogether, allaying pre-match assumptions of double standards being in play.
His post-match revelation showed the consistency in his decision-making process, with the 68-year-old disclosing why the returning Ighalo didn’t feature.
“[Ighalo] is a good goal scorer and we are happy to have him back,” Nigeria’s head coach stated after the match. “He only arrived on Thursday that is why he couldn’t participate in this match.
“I hope he would be able to help us in the next match on Tuesday.”
The match was stodgy — as Nigerians are getting accustomed to these days — and the all-round performance utterly unrecognisable, with the three-time African champions struggling for any sort of coherence for 90 minutes.
However, Rohr’s handling of the Ighalo situation showed consistency in his decision-making, even if many Nigerians continue to question the broader logic in the striker’s Super Eagles recall.