Over the years, we have seen some great footballers ditch the glamorous and elite top-flight football around Europe in favor of the now increasingly popular leagues in Asia, especially the oil-rich regions. Of course, African players are no exception.
Enter Nigeria international Striker Jude Odion Ighalo. The former super eagles, who has also tasted every bit of football action in Europe and Africa, now plies his trade in the Saudi professional football league with Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. After watching him train alone as he recovers from a hamstring injury, we had an interesting conversation.
We began by talking about how he is enjoying life in the gulf, “I’m enjoying my time, and it’s a huge honor to be here, “he said with a smile. I quizzed him on the competitiveness of the league. The much-traveled forward said.”
Well, it is Saudi Arabia, it’s not the English Premier League, but it’s tough, it’s difficult. No League is easy because even though you’re inside the field training, you don’t just stand on the pitch and score a goal. You still have to run and work hard. You saw the game yesterday (referring to the Saudi All-Star VS PSG match), and you can testify that the league is getting stronger.
I played in China, and before I came here, I played in other leagues. I thought the league was going to be easy, but when I came, I knew it was more difficult than I thought” Ighalo explained. He continued. “They have more foreign players in the team, seven /eight foreign players in one team. They have foreign coaches, and some Tactical Teams and all that. So the league is tough. I’m happy I’m doing well, my team is also doing well so I thank God for that ”
The former Manchester United forward who previously played in Italy, Spain, and China, also touched on how he is adapting to life in the gulf country, “Yeah, it feels good. I’m a journeyman, and I have played in almost seven different countries in my life, and in every country, you go you have to try to adapt you”.
Further saying, “I played in China for three years, it was not easy, and if I could play in China, could play in Nigeria why not here? When you’re in a country, you abide by its rules and regulation, live according to the system, and you will enjoy. You will enjoy it, and the club supports me in anything I do. Any issues at all they try to solve it so, I’m happy, I feel at home,” he added.
Playing in different leagues and cultures around the world usually means learning to speak other languages, and for the Edo State born forward it is not any different nevertheless, Arabic seems difficult for him. “Arabic is difficult,” he said. “And when I went to China, look my China my friend from China (pointing to his friend from China behind the camera) he got me a teacher then that was teaching me and all that, but still I played for three years in China, but it was difficult.
I only learned bad words, but so since I came here, I tried to get like a teacher to teach me once in a while. I know a few words, but it’s difficult, but I’m a guy that likes to learn languages, so I would like to learn another, but Arabic is difficult, well I’ll try to learn it”, Ighalo reiterated.
Countries like Qatar and Saudi usually have strict laws about their ‘way of life, and even for top football professionals, it’s the same, “If you are disciplined, and you are grounded, you can live anywhere. I know this is my job, I have to be focused, and I don’t have any other job” Ighalo emphasized.
“I have to make the best out of it so that’s why I can adapt. I’ve played in countries where you have all those kinds of Life, yet you don’t do that much because you have to stay focused. You always have to watch your back and see what you’re doing. You’re a role model, you have to do that and I’m playing in Saudi Arabia where you don’t have nightclubs, no women and alcohol, but you still adapt.”
The former Granada hitman said. On how he stays in touch with his family, he said. “That’s why I always have friends and family. Family comes around to spend time with you so you don’t feel it that much. But like I said, If you’re disciplined and you’re focused, it’s not difficult for you to live here.
You know that this is my job. I don’t do anything” on his training & eating routines “We always train in the evening. Now as I finish training, I shower and eat dinner here at our training ground or I go home and eat dinner or go to restaurants, and I go home to sleep. The next morning, I eat breakfast, and after breakfast, I sleep again. I have my lunch after lunch, get some rest, and return to training. So just my job, and that’s it, and have enough rest,” he stated.
Ighalo, who is the current Al Hilal leading scorer praised the quality facilities, high caliber footballers & trainers, and professionalism of the Saudi top flight and even compared it to that of its European counterparts, “you can see the training ground, you can see the gym, you can see the facility. Top-level you can see the coaches are foreigners, you see foreign people working here”.
“This personal trainer training me now is Portuguese. We have from different parts of Europe, Brazilians and all that. so it’s Europe’s facility and all that you understand. Just in another continent, and in each team, you have like eight foreign players. Imagine eight foreign players playing in one team, it’s like a European Club. So the league is competitive, it’s tough and all that, and now they are even pumping in more money”
“So it’s competitive and um it’s getting tougher, and it’s going to be one of the best leagues because you see more players are going to come, and more structure is going to take place here,” he said.
Ighalo is the third leading scorer in the Saudi league with nine goals but he is currently sidelined with an injury said he will be back and firing soon ” Now is for me to get better and start playing, and the goals will come. So I’m not worried”
On his next destination, the Ajegunle-born player said he is not looking forward to leaving Saudi Arabia. “If God says I will retire here, I will gladly do. I love it here. Where am I going again?” he asked as he concluded.
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