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By Peter Akinbo.
Odion Ighalo will have his target set on securing the first intercontinental trophy of his career when his Al-Hilal team face European champions Real Madrid in the final of the Club World Cup at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Morocco on Saturday (today).
However, it will be no easy feat as the 13-time Champions League winners are perennial winners and will be keen to extend their record of trophies at the competition.
Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal stunned South American champions Flamengo to reach Club World Cup final with a 3-2 victory on Tuesday thanks to two penalties from Salem Al Dawsari and a close-range strike from Luciano Vietto.
Real Madrid made it to the final after defeating African champions Al Ahly 4-1 on Wednesday.
Goals from Vinícius Júnior, Valverde, Rodrygo, and Sergio Arribas handed the UEFA Champions League winners the semifinal triumph over Al Ahly at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat.
While the final will be rightly tagged the battle of the Asian and European champions, it bears an even more personal significance for Ighalo who will be keen to take the chance to lift the first intercontinental trophy of his career.
Not only that, it also presents the former Manchester United loanee an opportunity to halt a stinking goal record against Real Madrid.
In three appearances while in the colours of Granada, Ighalo never found the back of the net against Real Madrid.
Granada lost two of those games, including a 5-1 thrashing at the Santiago Bernabéu in January 2012, and former Super Eagles forward Ikechukwu Uche provided the assist to Granada’s only goal on the night. That positive contribution was, however, drowned by strikes from Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain, Karim Benzema (brace), and Sergio Ramos.
However, Ighalo’s last match against Real Madrid ended in celebration as a Cristiano Ronaldo own goal helped Granada seal a narrow 1-0 win over the side then managed by Jose Mourinho in February 2013.
Just over ten years later, Ighalo will hope for another win, and while he would dream that he finds the back of the net against the four-time champions, the Nigerian striker would definitely just be glad to win the game whether by his goal, one from a teammate, or even a fortuitous own goal like in the last one.
With 10 goals in 18 appearances this season, Ighalo’s contributions will certainly be of the utmost importance to Al-Hilal, who have only lost two of their 19 competitive matches in all competitions this season, as they seek to pull off an almighty upset and claim a historic, first-ever Club World Cup trophy.