Nigerian forward Odion Ighalo found the back of the net yet again, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Al-Wehda from suffering another crushing defeat in the Saudi Pro League.
Despite Ighalo’s early brilliance, his team gave away their lead, suffering a devastating loss to Al-Akhdoud during their Matchday 13 clash on Thursday evening, footballrover reports.
The result marks another setback for the team, who are enduring a frustrating season.
Ighalo opened the scoring in the sixth minute, showing off his trademark composure after dribbling past his markers into the box and burying the ball into the bottom-right corner.
Al-Wehda’s crushing defeat: A closer look at the loss
The 35-year-old forward’s ability to find the net continues to defy expectations, but his efforts were overshadowed by his team’s inability to maintain their advantage.
Despite being fouled four times and registering 33 touches, including three inside the opposition box, Al-Wehda couldn’t capitalise on Ighalo’s early lead.
The former Super Eagles striker was active throughout the match, recording three shots on goal and a passing accuracy of 76%.
His physicality was also clear enough after winning five ground duels and two aerial duels. Ighalo’s overall performance, however, was marred by a series of unfortunate events that unfolded in the first half.
Al-Wehda’s promising start quickly turned sour after Christian Bassogog equalised for Al-Akhdoud in the 33rd minute.
Just four minutes later, Ibrahima Koné put the visitors ahead 2-1. A disastrous own goal by Jawad El Yamigq in the 40th minute handed Al-Akhdoud a commanding 3-1 lead heading into the break.
Though Craig Goodwin pulled one back for Al-Wehda in the 58th minute, the damage had already been done, and the game ended 3-2 in favour of the visitors.
Ighalo and his teammates have struggled with consistency this season. This latest defeat follows a series of poor results, with Al-Wehda now enduring back-to-back losses.
In their last seven matches, the team has managed just one win, alongside four defeats and two draws.
With this disappointing result, Al-Wehda slips further into the relegation zone, currently sitting in 16th place on the 18-team Saudi Pro League table.
The team has garnered just nine points from 13 games, with a record of two wins, three draws, and eight losses.
As Ighalo continues to shine individually, his team’s collective struggles show no sign of easing.
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