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Nigerian forward Odion Ighalo is looking forward to facing European champions Chelsea in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup on the 9th of February.
The 32-year-old inspired Al Hilal to a comfortable 6-1 win over Al Jazira on his debut for the Saudi side. He now sounds confident about facing Thomas Tuchel's side.
The forward said:
"When you think about the teams you are going to face in the Club World Cup, high level and big teams that won in their continent. We are going to play against Chelsea, good team which I have played against before so it's one of those highlights in your career that you're always going to cherish after you finish playing football."
He added:
"As you know the goal of the team and fans is to win and win because this team don't understand losing. It is to win and hopefully we're going to win and do our best."
Al Hilal's 6-1 victory over Al Jazira is the biggest win in the history of the FIFA Club World Cup. Ighalo scored on his debut for the club after his move from Al Shabab earlier this year.
It is worth noting that Ighalo has faced Chelsea on six occasions during his time in the Premier League with Watford and Manchester United. However, he has netted just once against them.
By virtue of being the European champions, the Blues will enter the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup directly at the semi-final stage, where they will face Al Hilal. The winner of this clash will advance to the final, where they will face either Brazilian side Palmeiras or Egyptian club Al Ahly.
Chelsea have never won the FIFA Club World Cup in their illustrious history. They finished runners-up to Brazilian side Corinthians back in the 2012 edition of the competition.
Chelsea have a chance to win two trophies in the month of February
Chelsea head into the month of February with an opportunity to win two major pieces of silverware. Apart from the FIFA Club World Cup, the Blues are also in a position to win the Carabao Cup.
Thomas Tuchel's side booked a place in the final after securing a 3-0 aggregate win over Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-finals. They will face Liverpool in the final on the 27th of February at Wembley Stadium.
