'I will be king of Nigeria if I win the FA Cup' - Watford striker Odion Ighalo
Super Eagles of Nigeria and Watford FC of England striker Odion Ighalo has bragged that he will be dubbed 'king of Nigeria' if he wins the F.A Cup.
Watford alongside Everton, Man U, and Crystal Palace are in the semi- finals of the English F.A Cup with Watford's game to be played on Sunday, and Ighalo says winning the F.A cup will be an illustrious end to the season after rejecting a £10m move to China last year.
''I chose my dream first before money,”
“Though I am not rich, I am blessed,” Ighalo, a devout Christian, says. “I know in the future I can make more money if I do well so I keep cool. I want to prove myself.'' Ighalo told The Telegraph UK.
“I believe in God and I prayed when I faced that situation. I am happy that I turned it down and it’s really helped me grow as a person. Yes, it was big money. A lot of money. But I want to keep going in my career. This is a dream come true so to leave the Premier League and go to China was not the right thing.
“And I know I can earn good money here if I prove myself. Maybe other offers will come, maybe with even more money but I have four more years of contract here after this season and I am happy. I’m improving. When I joined Watford I thought they had what it takes to get promoted to the Premier League. That’s why I joined. I wanted that opportunity.”
“If I win the FA Cup then I will be going back like a king! King of Nigeria!,”
“The fans want it and we want it.
“This is a big competition here in England. Now we are safe in the Premier League and although we want to do better this semi-final is a very big thing. It’s a chance for people to have a look at us and understand how we have done.
“Not every team in the Premier League can win it but they can win the FA Cup. No-one gave Watford a chance of being where we are today but we are there now and it’s possible for us to win and go to the final.”
He added: “As a footballer it is all the more special because it is played at Wembley, a great stadium, the great stadium of English football and one that I have not played in before. So that means a lot.
“The fans are happy also because they can say they will have a team in the Premier League next season and they have this semi-final.
“If we play the way we can play we will be able to give them a final to look forward to as well. It would be a dream come true.”
“I watched the finals – I remember big teams like Manchester United and Chelsea playing at Wembley so it means a lot to me to have the chance to get to a final,” Ighalo says. “And I’ve never played in a cup final before, not at any level, not even as a boy, never.”
