Former NPFL Hotshot Aneke Discusses Ighalo's Retirement From Super Eagles

The Shanghai Shenhua striker who has scored seven goals in nine league games for his club in 2019 copped an injury in Nigeria's third place final win over Tunisia at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt last week Wednesday, July 17.

"Ighalo's decision to retire is best known to him, in anyway Nigeria must move on," Aneke who has one cap for Nigeria and was the Nigeria league top scorer in 2012 with Kaduna United with 20 goals, a record feat at that time, told allnigeriasoccer.com.

"Ighalo is an experienced striker and arguably the best in Africa going by his top scorer award in the AFCON and the qualifiers before that however we must encourage younger strikers to aspire to be like Ighalo.

"If he rescinds that decision as has been claimed by some people, it's not bad, but we also have to respect his decision and not put him under pressure," Aneke stressed.

Aneke also wished the former Watford striker speedy recovery from his knee injury.

Ighalo's Chinese Super League side on Wednesday afternoon defeated John Mikel Obi's former Chinese club Tiajin Teda 3-1 in the Chinese FA Cup.

"It's sad to pick up such injury and in the team's AFCON match. Chinese clubs and indeed other clubs pay big wages to their players. I hope he recovers from this setback," Aneke said.

 Izuchukwu Okosi