Ighalo: Nigeria striker scores as Al Hilal fail to see off Aboubakar’s Al Nassr
- Ighalo struck early in first half
- This is Ighalo’s third consecutive goal
- Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar claims assist
WHAT HAPPENED? The Super Eagle scored the opening goal for the league leaders in the 10th minute with an assist from Luciano Vietto.
Al Nassr fought back, and in the 56th minute, Talisca equalized as the Indomitable Lions' Aboubakar provided the assist.
Five minutes past the hour mark, Al Hilal regained their lead as Salem Al Dawsri successfully converted from the spot.
Ighalo’s side were pegged back when Al Nassr equalized again in the 88th minute. Abdulrahman Ghaareb scored the important goal as they avoided a loss on their own turf.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The goal for Ighalo means he has now scored in three consecutive games for the Riyadh-based club.
On December 21, the former Manchester United striker also scored the opening goal as they claimed a 4-0 victory.
He was on target on December 16 during a league encounter in which they were 3-1 winners over Al Batin.
Meanwhile, the draw means Al Hilal failed to make it the third consecutive win over Al-Nassr.
ALL EYES ON: Had Al Hilal claimed a win, they would have gone atop the league table with 23 points. With the draw, they are fourth with 21 points in the 16-team table after 10 games.
THE VERDICT: As Hilal try as hard as possible to close in on their leading rivals, Ighalo’s consistent goalscoring run should be a huge boost for them.
WHAT NEXT FOR IGHALO? Al Hilal return to action again on December 31, when they will host Damak in another league match.
Their first game in 2023 will be an away showdown against Al Ittihad on January 5.