Al Hilal striker Ighalo haunts former club Al Shabab with brace

Odion Ighalo haunted his former club Al Shabab by scoring two goals in Al Hilal's 5-0 victory on Thursday.

Ighalo made his first appearance for Al Hilal in the Saudi Professional League following his permanent switch from rivals Al Shabab in January.

He made it a remarkable outing at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium - his first game in his new home.

It did not take long for Ighalo to start the party in Riyadh with his opening goal in the 18th minute and he later found the back of the net again, just two minutes before half-time to give the Boss a four-goal lead.

Andre Carrillo doubled Al Hilal's lead in the 25th minute followed by an effort from Mali striker Moussa Marega, five minutes later.

Marega later sealed the victory with his second goal of the night in the 82nd minute.

Senegal's Alfred Ndiaye was introduced at the break by Al Shabab but he compounded the visitors' woes as he was given his marching orders after receiving two yellow cards within eight minutes.

Cameroon’s John Mary was also involved in the encounter as a 69th-minute substitute.

Earlier this month, Ighalo opened his goal account for Al Hilal at the 2022 Fifa Club World Cup with the opening goal in their 6-1 thrashing of Al Jazira.

The Super Eagles striker is the joint-leading scorer in the Saudi Professional League this season with 14 goals in 19 games alongside Al Nassr's Talisca.

Meanwhile, Al Hilal are still fourth in the league table with 34 points after 18 games despite Thursday's win - with six points behind third-placed Al Shabab who have played three games more.

Ramon Diaz's men face Al Nassr for their next fixture in the King's Cup on Monday before hosting Al Hazm for a league match on February 26.