Ighalo made his return to the Eagles in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw against Cape Verde in the 2022 World Cup qualifier. His last appearance was at the 2019 AFCON where he emerged as top scorer as the Super Eagles finished third.

Speaking on his return to the Eagles Ighalo, in an interview on NFF TV, he responded to allegations of him paying his way back and Osimhen as his worthy successor.

He said “I’ve been watching the team from afar they’ve been doing well. I’m happy to be back, I’m happy to see the boys again, I’m happy to give them my support whenever the coach needs me I’m here and I’m back fully. Since the day they announced my retirement. I’ve had so many things on the internet and I don’t pay attention to whatever negative vibes people say on social media, I’m not the kind of guy that makes a problem. Since 2019 when I retire, the coach had been in communication with me to come back. I told him I don’t think I want to come back but the pressure was too much. Even before I came now the pressure was too much that I had to tell my agent to speak to the NFF president and the coach because when I signed for my club in Saudi Arabia I told them I’m not playing for the national team anymore and to get me released for this match was difficult. So, most importantly I’m happy to be back to give my support, the coach spoke to me at length. I heard so many people like a guy in the UK who said I paid my way to the national team, I was just laughing. I have never, even when I was not in this position that I am, in my life and in my career I’ve never paid my way into the national team.  The guy tried to defame my character but I’m not the kind of guy that makes problems if not he would have heard from my lawyer. Everybody has their opinion about me I don’t care but not to the extent of bribing which is very bad. I’m not going to go into that, the most important thing is that I’m here to support and I’m really happy to be back. I spoke to the coach that I’m coming back here to support the team, not to destabilise the team. They have a young squad that is doing well. There were talks that I’m back to take the position I’m not going to drag position with anybody, not Osimhen. Before I left the national team I personally called Osimhen and told him ‘this number nine position is for you, if you work hard you will rule Nigeria for long’, and I’m happy to see him doing well. I’m here to support him, before I came I told the coach Osimhen is the number one striker, I just want to come and support him and I try to do that. It was even said that I tried to fight for the number nine jersey, I was just laughing. So many things have been said. Before I came, I don’t want to mention the person’s name, top NFF official said something jersey and all that and I said no the number nine jersey Osimhen is the one that is using it and that I’m going to play with any jersey. But the official said Osimhen is a young player he will understand, I said no, this is the part of my condition to come back, I’m wouldn’t return if you don’t agree with this.  He is going to keep the number nine jersey, I asked if the number 19 jersey is available they said it’s for Paul (Onuachu), I said no and asked for number 21 they said the jersey is not up to 21, I told them to give me any jersey available but number nine jersey no way will I put it on because when I retired I left it and Victor is using it and he is doing well we are not going to start talking about jersey. I can play with my bare skin for Nigeria, I’m a patriotic Nigerian. If it means playing without a jersey I will play, it’s not a jersey that scores the goals.  As I said, I’m not back to cause any problem. People that know me know I’m not a problematic person, I’m here to support and help the team to keep pushing forward. So we are not going to start disputing about a number, after all, it was someone that put it on before I took over I left and someone else is putting it on. We are from the same Edo state and he is doing well and I’m really happy for him we do communicate,  anytime he scores I wish him well and pray and hope he continues to do well both in club and country. It is his time to shine and I pray nobody will take it from him. I’m happy to be back and If the coach says he wants me, he knows why he wants me to be back. So I don’t pay attention to whatever people are saying, the most important thing is the team and which ever way the coach wants me to give my support, whether from the bench, whether from the stand or playing, I’m going to give my best. As long as I’m putting on the green and white jersey I’m going to give my 101 per cent as I’ve always done before that’s what I’m going to keep doing. Before I decided to return, first of all, I prayed about it. I spoke to my mum because after the World Cup there were so many things that happened, threats and all that and I said I’m not going back. And one of the reasons I came back is that coach Gernot Rohr was there for me even after the World Cup I was getting death threats and I said I was not going to play again for Nigeria. But he called me and said ‘even the best players in the world miss chances you don’t have to kill yourself because of this, forget about what they are saying when you come and start scoring the same mouth they use to say bad about you is the same mouth they will use to say good things about you, come I believe in you. He gave me the confidence, I needed him then and he was there for me. So now he’s been calling me messaging me to come back so will I say no to somebody that was there for me. Since I retired he kept calling to know when I will come back. The pressure was too much so I said ok. If he was there for me and he needed me now I have to be there for him told him that’s why I’m here. Like I said I prayed about it, I talked to my mum, talked to my pastor about it and he asked if I want to go and I said, of course, it’s my country it’s a privilege to play for Nigeria. Nobody is going to turn down an invitation to play for Nigeria but the circumstances back then. And my mum said to me ‘my son if you want to go I give you my blessing go God will protect you and guide you’. So I made the decision to come back and I’m happy I’m back.”

The Nigerian forward joined the club on a short term loan spell in January 2020 from Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Shenua, before the club extended his stay in Manchester for another six months.

In his 23 games for the Red Devils, he scored five goals. He became the first Nigerian player to play for Manchester United’s senior team.

He wrote “It’s so hard to see this dream come to an end, but I give God the glory for helping me fulfil this life long dream of putting on a Manchester United shirt as a player and represent this great club. It was indeed an honour I will forever cherish and be grateful for. To the manager, I say thank you for trusting and believing in me when many did not. To my amazing teammates I will miss you guys, it was always fun and a time I look forward to training and spending time with all of you. And I pray we win the LEAGUE and FA cup this year. To the best fans in the world (the Manchester United fans) we have missed you, but we hear your voices cheering us on from afar, we can’t wait to have you all back on the stands,” he said, with excellent use of brackets for clarification. I’m still and would remain a MANCHESTER UNITED FAN forever. Once a Red, always a Red. Thank you Manchester United and God bless”

According to Daily Mail, United will have to pay up to £15million to sign Ighalo as his temporary move from Shanghai Shenhua is set to end on May 31, earlier than most loan deals.

The publication also disclosed that while the club are ready to sign Ighalo permanently they are also looking at negotiating an extension of the loan with Shenhua if the Premier League season which is on hold until the end of April continues into June because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ighalo was signed on a six months loan contract from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua on transfer deadline day in January as a back up to the injured Marcus Rashford but has shone every time he put on a Manchester United jersey to play for the club.

Solksjaer a huge fan of Ighalo says the player has already shown enough to warrant a place in the Manchester United squad next season.

He said “Odion has done really well since he came in and he’s enjoying himself,’ Solskjaer said following the game. And he will improve and get better but he has qualities we saw in him and we needed and we will still need those qualities for next season, so let’s see what we will do. He’s a goalscorer and a striker, he doesn’t worry too much about all that nonsense; build-up play – that’s a joke, obviously. He knows his job and what his role in the team is, and he’s very good with his back to goal, great link player, but maybe the best thing about him is his personality, so he’s got the whole lot really. He had three touches before his fourth was the finish. All the touches were high quality but he had to make them create space for himself. But the strike is on the half-volley, great timing, no one would have saved that one so anyone would have been proud of that finish.”

Ighalo has scored three goals since joining United on the last day of the transfer window. He scored two goals in United’s last game against Derby county and now says he wants to win the FA Cup’

“I watched Manchester United in the FA Cup a lot, which was great, and I loved playing in it with Watford. Now, I want to go far and win it, if possible, to crown my success here with the team.”

The club on Tuesday posted a video of his new jersey number on it’s official Twitter handle, urging fans to buy the new jersey as it had been added to the club’s shop.

Ighalo was signed for £3m from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua on loan for 6 months.

Algeria, who won he 32nd edition of the tournament have four players listed in the team while second place Senegal have the highest number of players who made the cut with five named in the team.

The full list :
Goalkeeper: Rais M ’Bolhi (Algeria )

Defenders: Lamine Gassama (Senegal), Yassine Meriah (Tunisia ), Youssouf Sabaly (Senegal), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal)

Midfielders: Adlene Guediora (Algeria ), Idrissa Gana Gueye (Senegal), Ismael Bennacer (Algeria )

Forwards : Riyad Mahrez (Algeria ), Sadio Mane (Senegal), Odion Ighalo (Nigeria)

Coach : Djamel Belmadi (Algeria )

Nigeria scored the first goal through Odion Ighalo in the 19th minutes but Cameroon scored two quick goals in the 41th (Stephane Bahoken) and 44th (Clinton Njie) minutes to take a 2-1 advantage going into the half time break.

It was an electrifying second half which saw Nigeria score two goals in three minutes as Ighalo got his second goal for the night on the 63th and turn provider for Alex Iwobi on the 65th minutes.

The match ended 3-2 as Nigeria will now face the winner between Egypt and South Africa, who will play later tonight.

Ighalo scored the decisive strike four minutes later, the Shanghai Shenhua of China forward received an exquisite back – heeled pass from Ola Aina and and curled the ball home from inside the box .

A tweet from CAF reads “Seven goals to choose from , but only one got our goal of the day accolade – @ighalojude of @ NGSuperEagles,”

Many expected the Super Eagles to roll over the Swallows but this was a hard fought victory for the Eagles as players like Abdulrasak and Saido Beranhio, threaten the Eagles goal line from time to time but in the end it wasn’t enough.

Second half substitute Odion Ighalo scored the only goal of the match in the 77th minute, just few minutes after replacing Paul Onuachu, after latching onto Ola Aina’s wonderful back-heeled pass and coolly whipped the ball past Jonathan Nahimana.