“I was born in the ghetto. AJ! Ajegunle! I was born in Ajegunle” Odion Ighalo reiterated proudly.
“It was difficult to live, difficult to eat and that is why I thank God when I look where I am now, we didn’t always have what we wanted or needed, we had to struggle,” he told The Guardian
It was early morning somewhere in the ghetto of Ajegunle, Lagos State, the center of commerce in Nigeria – West Africa.
The sunrise came quickly on that fateful day, the weather was already blowing hot. Madam Ighalo carried her wares and rushed to hawk ‘pure water’ so that her son, Jude can play football.
“So, my mum, with her small shop where she sold sachet water and soft drinks, she’ll save some money to buy shoes for me, give me transport money to go play with my team or play friendly games. Odion Ighalo told The Cable.
Madam Ighalo shrugged off hunger, forgot to eat and rushed down home to ensured she made some money which her son Jude can use to travel locally to a football pitch within the neighourhood where he trains with other football players.
Despite the poverty surrounding his circumstances, the young and aspiring player determined to make it in his chosen career. He played sometimes on an empty stomach.
“You know that some parents don’t have the money to eat not to talk of paying for shoes or transport to go for games and all that.
“She’ll even give me money to buy water after training to drink, try to pay some little little things for me. It was great for me because I didn’t have any helper then.”
When Jude Ighalo started on the streets of Lagos, he never anticipated playing in the English Premier League, let alone get the league award. He was determined to play football and make some money to fend for his family and take care of his caring mother.
The talented amateur baller played on the same local pitch called “Maracana” in the Tolu community area of Ajegunle – the pitch where the likes of Emmanuel Amunike and Kanu Nwankwo played as amateurs.
He was enrolled to play for the duo of Prime FC and Julius Berger football clubs at different times – in the Nigerian lower league. “the money will come” was a phrase used regularly by the aspiring superstar.
The player traveled to Europe for the first time after a FIFA Agent discovered him, he first played as a professional in Lyn Oslo – Norway where he scored nine goals in 20 games before moving on to Udinese – Italy where he scored a goal in six appearances.
Then Granada came calling where he scored 16 goals in 26 matches in a season and also scored 17 goals in 95 appearances between 2011 and 2014 before getting his breakthrough in the English League with Watford.
Like any other player, he has experienced ups and down career moments.
By this time he has started getting financial rewards for his mecurious talent and sending money home to his devoted Mother.
Jude Ighalo appears unstoppable as he has age on his side, skills and a good club that values his impact. Infact he is the highest goal scorer in the EPL in the entire 2015 and was justly rewarded when he won the best player of the month for December 2015 in the ongoing 2015/16 EPL season for scoring five goals.
“It’s a big honour for me and I am really pleased,” He said on the receipt of his award.
Big clubs are now scrambling for his signature with the likes of Manchester United, Inter Milan and Real Madrid linked.
“Well, as a professional player I’m working everyday to get better and I want to continue and build up from what I got last season, its not going to be easy and with Gods Grace everything is achievable. I want to play the UEFA and other European tournaments,” he said.
He got to the peak of his career when the super eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh included him in the squad of the Senior National football team.
The excited player took to his verified Twitter handle when he got a call-up to the senior national team after a short stint with the U-20 national team.
“Happy to be back in the squad for tonight’s game and my call up to the Nigeria national team. God is faithful.”
The player is married with kids to his childhood sweetheart. Just recently he celebrated his sixth year wedding anniversary to his wife and mother of his children, Sonia Ighalo in a grand style.
“Anytime, before he goes out to play a game, I always pray for him and wish him the very best. It’s been God, He has been so faithful to us and we give Him all the thanks. There’s nothing much that I really do behind but I do encourage him as my husband anytime he’s out there playing,” Sonia Ighalo told Punch.
A proud family fan who has taken his personal life away from football said, “Of course I’m married with kids and I don’t talk about my family and relationship, it is personal,” he told Naij.com.
“My wife has been very crucial to my impressive career. She has been able to build a good home and she makes me and the children happy. She is everything to me, I want to say that my marriage which marked six years recently has made me to be a complete man,” he told Goal.
The player is known for his firm belief in Christianity and he never hesitate to say “Thanks to God”, each time the press talks to him, he is indeed a humble guy as described by many. Easy going and calculated. “His humility endeared me to him; he is also a devout Christian. He is romantic but importantly, he is a humble guy and he is calm,” his wife said.
Having played football matches while bullets fly in the air as police chased gangs in his locality – growing up, he thankfully was never hit by a stray bullet.
“Whatever I go on to achieve in football, I will always give thanks to God for this opportunity to live my dream – but I will also never forget where I came from.
“On one corner there were boys selling marijuana and they were always being chased by the police when they cut across the pitch. We would hit the floor when we heard the ‘pop, pop, pop’ of gunfire and then continue training.
“It’s part of life, but bullets don’t always know who are the footballers and who are the bad guys,” he told The UK Mirror.
He aspire to give back to the society by setting up an orphanage and also enroll as a football Coach, a long term plan he had when he retired from playing active football.
“I want to tell them to keep working and praying hard, I was like that too, I believe in God and he helped me. They should believe in themselves and I pray their time will come soon,” he told upcoming players.
“When I finish playing I will love to be a coach, I’m planning to start a coaching course and keep myself busy and see how it goes, so to have something to do after football and I can hold-on to.
“I’m planning to open an orphanage in Lagos next year,” he says. “I don’t do these things because I want people to praise me. I’ve been doing them before I joined Watford – ever since God started blessing me I have been helping the kids, helping the widows.”
Madam Ighalo is surely reaping the fruits of her labour – its worth it afterall. If we go by Ighalo’s statement here “I’m not a millionaire but I have more than lots of people back home and I want to help them,” she is now settled with a comfortable life and shelter, a just reward for her devotion, commitment and sacrifice.
The Ighalo’s have now moved out of the ghetto to the city centre for the good life, concluding a wonderful story of moving from grass to grace.
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Op–ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.
Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello is a journalist, public speaker, change agent and a sports enthusiast.
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