March 01, (THEWILL) – Odion Ighalo of the Super Eagles has compared playing in the Saudi Pro League to playing in the English Football League Championship, the second-tier of football in England.
Ighalo, who played for Watford in the English top flight and scored 40 goals in 100 appearances, revealed this during a recent Q&A session with fans of the Hornets.
The Saudi Pro League, he remarked, is tough and challenging, but it pales in comparison to the quality of the Premier League and the buzz and passion that it is reputed for.
“I’m enjoying my time here. It’s my second year here in Saudi Arabia with a different team and everything is going well. I’m scoring goals and the team is doing well, so I’m happy!
“Everybody knows the Premier League is the best league in the world and the standard of the league is very high. The intensity, the coverage, the fans and the stadium, everything is top. The league here is still growing, a lot of foreign players and managers are coming in. I would say it’s a good league and a tough league, but you can’t compare to the Premier League.
“I would say it’s Championship level. It’s very tough, physical and each team has foreign players playing and foreign coaches, a lot of tactical work and intelligent players in the league.
“In England we train in the mornings, but due to the weather here, it’s very hot and we train in the evenings. We have a longer day, train and then come back and rest. In China we trained in the mornings because the weather is not too hot there. It’s a different league and culture entirely.
“I’m happy I get to learn and live in difficult cultures, it’s something I will cherish for a long time”, Ighalo explained to fans of Watford, who were taking part in the Q&A session.
Ighalo joined Watford from Granada, and in his debut season, helped the Hornets achieve promotion to the Premier League. He scored 16 goals in his debut season of 2015/2016 in the EPL, cementing his cult hero reputation at the club.
Ighalo is currently with Al-Hilal, who are fourth in the Saudi Pro League table. He is in contention for a place in the Super Eagles’ World Cup squad when they face Ghana later this month after accepting to come back to the squad from an early retirement.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
