Former Flying Eagle captain and striker of Manchester United, Odion Ighalo, has disclosed the main purpose he retired from playing for the national team, Super Eagle of Nigeria.
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lghalo who retired from Nigeria national team after winning the top scorer award at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, said he had to concentrate on his club, Shanghai Shenhua, as the distance from China to Nigeria is not an easy trip.
He added that he’s leaving the national team would not draw the team back as Super Eagle has vibrant and young players.
“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 told Ghanaian journalist Nana Aba Anamoah via Instagram Live.
“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 a 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.”
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