Al Hilal registered a comprehensive 5-0 win over Al Shabab in a Saudi Arabian Professional Football League clash at the King Fahd International Stadium on Thursday night with Odion Ighalo getting his name on the scoreboard twice.

The former Manchester United striker departed Al Shabab in acrimonious circumstances in the January transfer window, approximately three weeks after the Riyadh club prevented him from representing Nigeria at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Eighteen minutes into the contest against Al Shabab, Ighalo broke the deadlock, looping the ball over the goalkeeper from inside the area and it would be wrong to say he did not celebrate the goal, although it was subdued.

Goals from André Carrillo and Moussa Marega saw Al Hilal establish a three-goal lead inside thirty minutes.

And Ighalo added to Al Shabab's woes when his snap shot beat goalkeeper Fawaz Al-Qarni, ending the game as a contest in the 43rd minute.

At halftime, in the dressing room, Ighalo urged his teammates not to rest on their laurels and the pep talk paid dividends as Marega bagged his second of the evening with eight minutes to go to wrap up the scoring.

The 2019 AFCON Golden Boot winner is the joint-top scorer in the Saudi top division with fourteen goals.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel