Ex-Man United star shows why Gernot Rohr desires his Super Eagles return

The Nigerian national team is currently blessed with a wide array of striking options, but the German tactician remains keen on Odion Ighalo's return, and he showed why on Thursday evening

Retired Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo was among the goalscorers as Al Shabab thumped Al Tai 3-0 at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh, in a Saudi Arabia Pro League game week ten clash.

Ighalo's strike off an Eva Banega assist in the 23rd minute was sandwiched between Brazilian Carlos' 3rd-minute opener and Hussain Al Monassar's 63rd-minute effort, as second-place Al Shabab moved to within two points of league leaders Al Ittihad.

Ighalo's goal was his fourth in his last three games and ninth in ten league matches for the Péricles Chamusca-led side.

Ighalo's latest effort arrives just hours after Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr confirmed he would include the former Manchester United loanee in his squad list for the World Cup qualifiers in November.

It would be recalled that Ighalo retired from the national team immediately after the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. The ex-Watford ace's five goals helped the Super Eagles win the tournament's bronze medal.

Since his retirement, Victor Osimhen has stepped into the number nine role admirably, with the Napoli striker netting ten goals and six assists in two years.

However, Rohr insists Ighalo's experience and quality are still valuable to the team and the 32-year-old's form continues to show that the German gaffer may be right.

Ighalo found the back of the net three times in three games in September to win the Saudi Arabian league's best player of the month award. He now has four goals in four matches in October, breaching the defences of every team he faced, bar Al Feiha.