Odion Ighalo: How ex-Man United star is changing lives of orphans, widows in Nigerian slum

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  • Odion Ighalo's communicative is 1 of resilience and hard work, having grown up successful the slums of Ajegunle successful Lagos, Nigeria
  • The Nigerian planetary went from selling breadstuff connected the streets of Lagos to playing for Manchester United
  • Having survived hardship, the striker has continued to springiness backmost to society, supporting widows and orphans, amongst different philanthropic gestures

Nigerian shot prima Odion Ighalo has seen it each successful nonrecreational shot contempt increasing up successful the densely populated slums of Ajegunle successful Lagos, Nigeria.

Born successful Lagos, the striker, who played connected the streets of 'AJ' (as Ajegunle is fondly called successful Nigeria), remains the lone Nigerian to person featured for the large Manchester United.

Today, helium is 1 of the astir accomplished footballers, with his nett worthy estimated to beryllium astir €50 million, which is simply a testament to his fiscal occurrence passim his illustrious career.

Odion Ighalo celebrates a extremity   for Manchester UnitedOdion Ighalo is the archetypal Nigerian to play for Manchester United. Photo: Tom Purslow.
Source: Getty Images

Ighalo’s puerility successful Ajegunle

A locomotion down the grimy, foul-scented Salami Street of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area literarily explains however overmuch the Ighalos indispensable person struggled to survive. The footballer lived astatine House No. 58 during his childhood.

Odion Ighalo lived successful  AjegunleOdion Ighalo grew up successful Ajegunle, Lagos. Photo: Babajide Orevba.
Source: Original

His elder member Steve disclosed that the household had faced superior hardship backmost successful the day, but present they are known worldwide. He said:

"This is simply a household location built by the precocious Pa Ighalo successful the aboriginal 60s. It was not casual (for Odion), but his struggles and that of his parents yet paid off."Those days, helium goes into the streets to merchantability 'Agege bread' and different brands successful Ajegunle. "Being a twin, helium grew up protecting his sister; successful fact, helium was overprotective, but helium grew up with the mindset of being a footballer.

Just similar each different child, Ighalo, a twin, played astatine the celebrated Maracana Stadium successful Ajegunle - the aforesaid transportation that produced respective different Nigerian stars, including Samson Siasia, Brown Ideye, Taribo West, Ikpe Ekong and Ifeanyi Udeze.

Football Career and Rise to Fame

Ighalo started his vocation with Prime FC of Oshogbo and signed his archetypal nonrecreational declaration with the nine successful 2005.

After 1 year, helium was snapped up by Julius Berger FC of Lagos and past moved to Europe successful 2007 to articulation Norwegian outfit Lyn.

He earned an invitation into the Nigeria U20 nationalist squad successful 2009 arsenic helium featured successful 3 matches for the Flying Eagles.

Ighalo moved to Serie A broadside Udinese successful 2008 and was sent connected indebtedness to Spanish nine Granada and aboriginal English outfit Watford.

Odion Ighalo astatine  WatfordOdion Ighalo celebrates 1 of his goals for Watford. Photo: Ian Walton.
Source: Getty Images

His brilliance successful the Premier League saw him people 34 goals successful 82 appearances for the Hornets, but helium near successful 2017 for a mega-money determination to Chinese nine Changchun Yatai.

In 2019, rival Chinese nine Shanghai Shenhua offered him a staggering £400,000 per week declaration to enactment successful the country.

Manchester United dreams travel existent for Ighalo

He remained successful China for 2 much seasons earlier helium caught the oculus of Manchester United aft the Red Devils saw apical scorer Marcus Rashford sidelined for 3 months with a superior backmost injury.

United announced the signing of the striker connected indebtedness connected the deadline time of the January transportation model successful 2020.

Ighalo disclosed, arsenic per Sky Sports, that helium had taken a wage chopped to marque the determination happen, calling it a "dream" to articulation the nine helium has agelong supported

His member Steve said:

"When Ighalo went to Manchester United, it was a imagination travel true. Playing for a nine similar Manchester United was a large positive for his career."We were overwhelmed the time we saw him successful United's kits."

The Nigerian guardant made 12 appearances for the Red Devils and scored 5 goals earlier helium departed for a determination to the Middle East.

Ighalo successful the Super Eagles

He made his archetypal nationalist squad debut nether interim manager Daniel Amokachi, who spotted the striker's prowess astatine Watford.

Ighalo made his debut successful Nigeria's 0-1 nonaccomplishment to Uganda, and successful June 2018, helium was named successful the 23-man squad for the FIFA World Cup successful Russia.

After playing 73 minutes successful the 0–2 radical signifier decision against Croatia, Ighalo raised the alarm that his household members were receiving decease threats aft helium failed to people successful the Mundial.

The Nigerian planetary scored 7 goals successful the qualifiers for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign.

At the tourney proper, the striker netted 5 goals to triumph the apical scorer's grant arsenic Nigeria finished third.

At the extremity of the competition, helium announced his status from planetary football. He made a full of 37 appearances for the Nigerian nationalist squad and scored 16 goals.

Odion Ighalo's honours successful football

Odion Ighalo has had an awesome nine vocation crossed aggregate leagues. He played a important relation successful Watford's promotion to the EPL during the 2014–15 season.

He won the Chinese FA Cup successful 2019 with Shanghai Shenhua. The striker besides won the Saudi Pro League rubric with Al-Hilal successful 2022 and the King Cup the pursuing year.

His idiosyncratic honours see being named Premier League Player of the Month successful December 2015 and being the apical scorer successful the Saudi Pro League during the 2021-2022 season.

Ighalo was the apical scorer astatine the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations successful Egypt, scoring 5 goals and helping Nigeria decorativeness successful 3rd place.

Inside Odion Ighalo's Orphanage Home

In 2017, the guardant reportedly spent 500 cardinal Nigerian naira to physique the home. The installation is located successful Ijegun, Lagos, astir 27 kilometres from Ajegunle, wherever the striker grew up.

It houses betwixt 30 and 40 children and has abstracted apartments for boys and girls.

Chairman of the Odion Ighalo Orphanage Home committee of directors, Pastor Dozie Nwabueze, disclosed that each kids successful the installation unrecorded similar each different kid from a affluent home. He said:

"Odion has ever wanted to springiness backmost to society. We are an orphanage affiliated with the Lagos State Government. "Well registered and our children are enactment successful precise bully backstage schools. Everything each different kid successful a affluent location enjoys is what they besides enjoy. You tin spot them, you tin besides spot the environment. At the moment, we person 21 kids."
Odion Ighalo Orphanage HomeThe Odion Ighalo Orphanage Home is located successful Ijegun Lagos.
Source: Original

Pastor Dozie Nwabueze expressed anticipation that the Odion Ighalo Orphanage Home would nurture different endowment similar 'Ighalo'.

The cleric emphasised religion successful God’s proviso for orphans and encouraged radical to scope out, noting that the location remains unfastened to taking successful much children done the Lagos State Government.

"We anticipation to rise different 'Ighalo' from this place. God has a mode of taking attraction of orphans, and we are unfastened to receiving much children. "They tin spell to the Lagos State Government specifically for the Odion Ighalo Orphanage Home. Pastor Dozie Nwabueze."

Ighalo’s buys location for widows

Having faced hardship portion increasing up, Ighalo has continued to assistance the little privileged, particularly children and women.

QED reports that done the Ighalo Foundation, helium splashed currency connected a location and renovated it for widows and children successful Ajegunle.

Sharing photos connected his societal media handle, the guardant added:

“I had a fantastic clip with my widows successful Ajegunle, convey you Mamas for each the prayers. I tin spot each the blessings.”

Also, a sojourn to Salami Street shows ongoing roadworthy operation facilitated by Ighalo successful collaboration with the Local Government Chairman.

Salami StreetOngoing roadworthy operation connected Salami Street, wherever Odion Ighalo grew up. Photo: Babajide Orevba.
Source: Original

Odion Ighalo's nett worthy and lifestyle

Having played for immoderate of the biggest clubs successful the world, the 35-year-old commands his beingness arsenic 1 of the richest Nigerian footballers of each time.

Ighalo's nett worthy is estimated to beryllium astir €50 cardinal aft helium made truthful overmuch luck successful China and Saudi Arabia.

In 2020, helium completed the 'Ighalo Residence', 1 of the biggest houses successful the eye-brow country of Lekki, Lagos.

He drives immoderate of the champion cars, including a White Range Rover Velar, worthy N50 million, and a Mercedes Benz G-wagon.

Odion Ighalo's marital tussle with Sonia Adesuwa

In 2009, the Nigerian footballer tied the knot with Sonia Adesuwa successful 2009. They person 3 children — 2 boys and a girl.

However, their national has been enmeshed successful contention arsenic the brace takes to societal media to jibe astatine each other.

She said the Al Wehda FC of Saudi subordinate has been “fooling with antithetic women” but she decided to beryllium with him “lowkey”.

Odion Ighalo and woman  Sonia AdesuwaOdion Ighalo joined Sonia Adesuwa successful 2009. Photo: @toolzmoney.
Source: Twitter

While determination are rumours of an imminent divorce, a household subordinate confirmed that the national remains intact.

The player's elder member said:

"Odion hasn't told america that helium has stopped marrying her. He did not archer america they are nary longer successful a narration oregon successful matrimony "Where we travel from, successful Benin, women person the close to speech connected their own, but since the dowry has not been returned, she is inactive our wife."

Ighalo's beardown enslaved with mother

The erstwhile Watford of England guardant has ever flaunted his beloved parent connected societal media.

He erstwhile shared a heartwarming video of his parent praying for him touching portion touching his legs.

He has a beardown enslaved with his praying parent and often takes her connected trips abroad. During his clip with Al-Shabab of Saudi, the striker took her connected a yacht cruise and posted the clip online.

Inspiration and legacy

Odion Ighalo's bequest is 1 of resilience and giving back. Growing up successful the slums of Ajegunle, Lagos, the guardant overcame immense hardship to go 1 of Nigeria’s astir palmy footballers.

His travel from selling breadstuff connected the streets to playing for Manchester United symbolises his determination.

Off the pitch, Ighalo is known for his philanthropy. Through his foundation, helium supports widows and children successful Ajegunle, builds homes, and facilitates section development.

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Source: Legit.ng

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