How Siasia can end Ighalo’s goal drought

Recently Odion Ighalo in an interview gave the following as the reason he has failed thus far to reproduce his club performance at the National team level.

“We cannot compare so many things in Europe with what we have in Africa,” he said. “If you talk about the pitches in Europe compared to Africa, you will see a huge difference, likewise the weather.

“Another issue is the physicality of the game in Africa, but I am not complaining because as a striker, you have to be ready for any situation.”

As valid as the excuses might be, we cannot rule out that somethings have to be improved upon for the goal drought to be ended. After watching him wandered on the pitch against Egypt, and failed to convert few chances he had.

Sportsration.com came up with 3 things Siasia and Ighalo must do.

1.Odion Ighalo needs a Nigerian Deeney

Considering 6 of Odion Ighalo’s 14 goals were assisted by his strike partner Troy Deeney. What comes to the mind is that Ighalo needs help if he must score goals, he needs a strike partner someone who will play very close to him like Watford’s Deeney and feed him.

2. Tactical tweak

In the Eagles game against Egypt a 4-2-3-1 formation was played, with Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho given the task to support him from the hole by playing directly behind him but for most of the time Kelechi was on the pitch Odion was isolated upfront.

Maybe a formation change from 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2 which will allow a player to play very close to him like Troy at Watford would be a solution.

But if we want continue with the 4-2-3-1 formation we need to get the ball to him more in the box and our wingers must improve on their passes in the final third.

3. Ighalo must work more

As a lone striker is link up play has to be good, he must be able to come out of the box and play with the attackers if the balls are not coming to him. He can’t just sit down in the box expecting the pass to come always, he might be playing to instruction to play closer to his marker but as he wasn’t getting enough balls he should have come out to play with his attackers.

He also has to come his nerves and take his chances. The goals will surely come

But he needs to give more, m but in the game against Egypt, Ighalo like i said didn’t get enough support and the few he got he failed to convert his chances.

Ighalo has scored two goals for the Super Eagles since making his debut in a 2-0 win over Chad in AFCON qualifier on June 13, 2015 in Kaduna.