Former Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo has been appointed as the Ambassador of the resuscitated National Principal Cup.

The minister of youth and sports development, Mr Sunday Dare, announced the appointment on Tuesday when the former Manchester United star paid him a courtesy visit in office at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

He said no fewer than 2700 secondary schools across the country will take part in the next edition of the invigorated National Principal Cup. FOSLA Academy of Karshi, owned by the former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Sani Lulu, won the inaugural edition of the invigorated Principal Cup, 27 years after it was abandoned.

Dare said Ighalo’s role as the ambassador of the Cup will be to travel round all the six zones in the country in watching the Principal Cup matches, inspire the players and help identify skillful talents.

With his appointment, Ighalo now joined the likes of Daniel Amokachi, Segun Odegbami, Mary Onyali, Tunde Disu and others as the ambassadors of the National Principal Cup.

The appointment is coming days after the Federal government appointed Former Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi as Youths ambassador.