Saudi league is “getting tougher,” says Ighalo

Al Wehda forward Odion Ighalo has weighed in on the comparison between leagues in world football, saying the Saudi Professional League is ‘getting tougher.’

The Saudi Pro League has grown in popularity and competitiveness recently, with the signing of foreign players and coaches.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez, Ngolo Kante are among many players who joined the Saudi Pro League from top European clubs.

Football fans are of the opinion that it’s easy to succeed and score goals in Saudi Arabia but Ighalo, while speaking with Omasports during an exclusive series, said the level of football in the West Asian nation is changing quickly.

“You can’t compare Saudi league with the European leagues but they are getting there. It’s getting tougher because they have more foreign coaches and foreign players,” the 34-year-old Nigerian explained.

“Imagine you have seven foreign players in one team, it’s like playing against an European club.”

The former Watford and Manchester United striker played in China before joining Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia in 2021. He scored 24 goals in 31 league games in the 2021/22 season and hit 19 goals in 27 league appearances the following season.

Ighalo joined Al Wehda in August last year and has scored 12 times in 26 league outings for the side, who are currently 12th on the league standings.

He said the league is shaping up nicely and has now become more challenging.

“The organization is getting better also. They added two more teams to make it an 18-team league. The league is not easy. It’s getting tougher – tougher than China.”