Super Eagles media officer, Toyin Ibitoye has declared that all players in the national team have a role to play in ensuring that the vacuum created by Changchun Yatai of China striker, Odion Jude Ighalo’s injury is not felt against South Africa, sports247.ng reports.
Ighalo has been ruled out for the season, following a hamstring injury he picked up on Wednesday afternoon in Changchun Yatai’s 2-2 draw at home to Tianjin Quanjian.
The Changchun captain was taken off after 17 minutes after sustaining an injury that will rule him out for the last game of the season as well as Nigeria’s upcoming matches against South Africa and Uganda.
Ighalo, who has since been replaced by Henry Onyekuru for the Eagles’ upcoming clashes, will be out for five weeks, thereby also ending his hope of finishing as top scorer in the Chinese Super League this season.
Although Ibitoye admitted it is a huge blow for Nigeria, considering that Ighalo has struck six goals in the past three matches of the AAfrica Cup of Nations qualifiers, he stressed that other attackers in the team must now step out to be counted.
Sports247.ng reports further that Ibitoye is banking on the fact that all attackers invited by Eagles’ coach, Gernot Rohr are equally worth their own values and club form has been good of recent, to guarantee top performances from other players in Ighalo’s absence.
Ibitoye stated: “It’s a massive miss to be without a player who has scored six goals in the last three matches for the Eagles.
“It’s a big challenge to fill this role, but we have a lot of options in this regard and it is left for the other players to rise to the occasion.
“Other players need to prove themselves worthy to the coaches and Nigerians that they can do it.
“They need to step up their game and utilize the opportunity given to them by the coach.”
