Odion Ighalo
Nigerian association football player
Nigeria
Forward
Odion Ighalo: profile
Odion Ighalo (born 16 June 1989 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a former Nigerian footballer who played as a forward.
Ighalo's senior club career began in 2005 at Osun United F.C.. He played for 7 clubs in 5 countries between 2005 and 2014. The busiest spell of his career was at Granada CF (2011–2014): 95 appearances and 17 goals. Across all recorded club spells he totals 176 appearances and 51 goals.
At international level, Ighalo represented Nigeria (2015–present). Our match database lists 6 of his international goals; the first came against Cameroon on 1 September 2017 (World Cup Qualification). He also played for Nigeria at under-20 level.
Lagos has produced 367 footballers in our database, including Victor Osimhen, Victor Moses and Obafemi Martins.
Key facts
- Senior international debut
- 2015 (aged about 26)
- First international goal
- 2017 – aged 28 (match)
- Club career
- 2005–2014 (10 seasons)
- Countries played in
- 5: Nigeria, Norway, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom
- Club goals per game
- 0.29 (51 in 176)
- Height
- 188 cm — taller than 84% of Nigerian internationals on record
- Latest move
- Watford F.C. (2014)
- Shares a birthday with
- Seydou Doumbia, Michel Pensée and Ismaël Koné (more)
Club career
| Years | Club | League | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–2006 | Osun United F.C. |
Nigeria National League | 5 | 0 |
| 2006–2007 | Bridge F.C. |
Nigeria Premier Football League | 10 | 5 |
| 2007–2008 |  Lyn 1896 FK |
1. divisjon football | 20 | 9 |
| 2008–2014 |  Udinese Calcio |
Serie A | 6 | 1 |
| 2009–2010 |  Granada CF |
LaLiga 2 | 26 | 16 |
| 2010 | AC Cesena |
Serie B | 3 | 0 |
| 2010–2011 | AC Cesena |
Serie B | 3 | 0 |
| 2011–2014 | Granada CF |
LaLiga 2 | 95 | 17 |
| 2014 |  Watford F.C. |
EFL Championship | 8 | 3 |
| Total | 176 | 51 |
Appearances and goals are league figures where recorded on Wikidata; “–” means not recorded.
International career
| Years | Team | Level | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Nigeria U20 |
Under-20 | 3 | 0 |
| 2015– | Nigeria |
Senior | – | – |
International goals (6)
| # | Date | Match | Min | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Sep 2017 | Nigeria 4–0 Cameroon | 29 | World Cup Qualification |
| 2 | 22 Jun 2019 | Nigeria 1–0 Burundi | 77 | Africa Cup of Nations |
| 3 | 6 Jul 2019 | Nigeria 3–2 Cameroon | 19 | Africa Cup of Nations |
| 4 | 6 Jul 2019 | Nigeria 3–2 Cameroon | 63 | Africa Cup of Nations |
| 5 | 14 Jul 2019 | Algeria 2–1 Nigeria | 72 (pen) | Africa Cup of Nations |
| 6 | 17 Jul 2019 | Tunisia 0–1 Nigeria | 3 | Africa Cup of Nations |
*Goals listed are those present in our match-by-match goal database, which is most complete for tournament matches.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Odion Ighalo?
Odion Ighalo was born on 16 June 1989, which makes him 37 years old.
Where was Odion Ighalo born?
Odion Ighalo was born in Lagos, Nigeria.
Which national team does Odion Ighalo play for?
Odion Ighalo played international football for Nigeria.
Which clubs has Odion Ighalo played for?
Odion Ighalo's recorded clubs are Osun United F.C., Bridge F.C., Lyn 1896 FK, Udinese Calcio, Granada CF, AC Cesena and Watford F.C..
How tall is Odion Ighalo?
Odion Ighalo is 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) tall.
What position does Odion Ighalo play?
Odion Ighalo played as a forward.
Nigerian players of the same generation
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Ahmed MusaNigeria · Kano Pillars F.C.
Victor MosesNigeria · FC Kaisar
Victor AnichebeNigeria · b. 1988
Victor ObinnaNigeria · b. 1987
Emmanuel EmenikeNigeria · b. 1987
Chinedu ObasiNigeria · b. 1986
Sani KaitaNigeria · b. 1986
Joel ObiNigeria · b. 1991
Brown IdeyeNigeria · b. 1988
Leon BalogunNigeria · b. 1988
Ogenyi OnaziNigeria · b. 1992