I NEARLY GAVE UP AFTER RECEIVING DEATH THREAT DURING MY GOAL DROUGHT – odion ighalo
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Joseph Omoniyi
Super Eagles talisman, Odion Ighalo, reflecting on the past months during his goal drought for the Nigerian National team, has revealed that he almost threw in the towel after receiving death threat from aggrieved fans.
Ighalo, sitting down in the changing room of the Taieb Mhiri Stadium, after completing a five goal run against The Medittaranean Knights of Libya over two legs, opened up about how he and his family, including his children, endured vitriolic abuse, and even received death threats on social media, due to a bad World Cup performance.
The China based striker, who admitted he had not played up to his own high standards in Russia 2018, said that, things got so bad that he came this close to packing it all in.
He said, “I know the fans want me to score goals. I understand them,” the China-based striker said. “But some of them took it to another level.
“They said a lot of things. To my innocent kids, to my wife, even to the extent they threatened my life and the life of my family.”
He also explained that, despite trying to remain above it all and not respond to critics, he was deeply hurt by the attacks on his family, especially his children.
“I felt very bad, I had to talk to my wife because she could not take it. Some words they said about my kids, about me. Some words they said to her, threatening and all that. That is beyond football.
“You know women and how they react when you talk about their children. But I never said a word to nobody and I never replied anybody.”
Although he did not have to take any action to protect his family, as they live in England while he plays in China for Changchun Yatai, but with all of that going on, it was only natural that the forward wanted to quit, especially when his wife advised him to.
“My wife said ‘you don’t have to go there (to Nigeria) any more’ and it was because of all what they said to her and to our family.”
According to Ighalo, It took national team coach Gernot Rohr’s intervention to convince him to come back and suit up in green and white again.
Ighalo explained: “I want to thank Rohr because after the World Cup and all those things happened, he called me before the Seychelles game (in September) and I told him I was contemplating stopping because it is not easy.
“But the coach had belief in me. He said ‘I know you are a good goalscorer and I know you can do it. Come and show them that you can score.’
“If a coach believes in me, then I will come. I told hm ‘coach, if I am in your plans hundred percent then I will honour the invitation any time you call me.’
“He said ‘yes, you you are in my plans for the games’. Then he said ‘don’t be under pressure, just go do your thing, I know you can do it.’
“That gave me the confidence which I believed that I needed. I want to thank him for defending me, and giving me the words like a father, encouraging me, talking to me. He gave me more belief and I thank God for repaying him with these goals.”
Ighalo has since disabled comments on his Instagram account, where he is still active, and rarely appears in front of the media. And he has no intention of changing that decision anytime soon.
“Now I am back here to play for my country. I just want to give hundred percent whenever I play, goal or no goal. As long as the team wins, I am satisfied.”
Nigeria’s next Afcon qualifier is against South Africa on 16 November.
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