Hamza Igamane blasted by Ally McCoist despite Rangers 4-1 win at Nice
Ally McCoist blasted “lazy” Hamza Igamane for not making the right pass as Rangers beat OGC Nice 4-1 in the Europa League.
The Gers travelled to the Allianz Riviera on 28 November, and goals from Vaclav Cerny, Mohamed Diomande and Igamane in the first half were followed by a strike from the Moroccan in the second 45 minutes.
While the Light Blues cruised past the Ligue 1 outfit, who did manage to pull one back, McCoist wasn’t best pleased with Igamane during one incident after the break where the 22-year-old complicated things instead of putting the ball through.
“That’s lazy. It’s lazy. It’s a simple ball, and it’s lazy from the centre-forward who’s scored two goals,” he said while commentating on TNT Sports [28 November].
“He’s got to give Cerny a better ball than that. He elected to go with the outside of his right foot, which is fair enough. But it’s a simple pass.”
Hamza Igamane shone for Rangers v OGC Nice
Apart from a few instances where Igamane could’ve made better decisions, the centre-forward was instrumental in the win for the Gers.
Before being substituted at around the 70th-minute mark for Cyriel Dessers, the Moroccan made sure he made the most of the opportunity Philippe Clement handed him.
The 22-year-old showed brilliant hold-up play in the lead-up to the Bears’ first goal at the Allianz Riviera before being gifted a chance by the French outfit’s defence.
Igamane showed brilliant composure and calmness with both his strikes, something Dessers hasn’t been able to do at the Light Blues.
The Nigerian was pitiful in the 1-1 draw between Rangers and Dundee United on 23 November and was rightfully hauled off at half-time by Clement.
With the win over Nice, the 28-year-old will now have to look over his shoulders as Igamane has proved that he deserves to be mentioned as one of the first names on the team sheet going forward.
While it’s true that there’s a long way to go for the Morocco Under-23s international, he made a statement in France that the Ibrox faithful will undoubtedly have noticed.
In other Rangers news, McCoist also took aim at Nedim Bajrami during the Nice thumping.
For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.