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- Nigeria have declared the decisive World Cup Group D decisive clash against Argentina in St Petersburg on tuesday as a war.
The clash between the two countries will be the fifth World Cup with the Super Eagles yet to avoid defeat.
Argentina need a win to reach the second round while the Super Eagles can qualify with either victory or a draw.
Croatia are already through with maximum 6 points from two matches.
That leaves Nigeria, Iceland and Argentina - runners-up at the 2014 World Cup - fighting for the remaining place.
The Super Eagles' 2-0 defeat of Iceland on Friday moved them second with three points, while both Iceland and Argentina have a point apiece following their 1-1 draw on 16 June.
Should Croatia beat Iceland on Tuesday in Rostov-on-Don, the African side could go through with a point.
Argentina, by contrast, will qualify with a win if Iceland fail to win on Tuesday or, should the island nation emerge victorious, by outscoring them and so improving their inferior goal difference.
Nigeria's defeat of Iceland came courtesy of a double strikes from Ahmed Musa, who partnered Kelechi Iheanacho in attack, with Ighalo appearing as a second-half substitute.
Despite being dropped, 29-year-old Ighalo was delighted by the change of tactics from Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr who switched to a back three and started with two strikers.
"It makes it easier because I was isolated (against Croatia) - alone with four different guys - which was very difficult but we played with two strikers (against Iceland), which is much easier for the strikers to move, to come, and you can see that we got goals," he explained.
The China-based star said there had been a real determination in the camp to atone for the lacklustre display in the 2-0 loss to Croatia, which had upset both the squad and its supporters.
Musa's strikes, which came on top of a brace against Argentina at the 2014 finals, made him Nigeria's top scorer in World Cup history with four goals.
Only Ghana's Asamoah Gyan, with six, and Cameroon's 1990 World Cup star Roger Milla, with five, have ever scored more at the finals for Africa.
With two of the continent's sides - Egypt and Morocco on the way home and Tunisia set to bow out if England beat Panama on Sunday, Ighalo says Nigeria are very conscious of the need to salvage African pride in Russia.
"That is why we have to do better and step up our game, because two Africans are already out and a loss (against Iceland) would have pushed us out of the tournament," said the China-based forward.
"We know Africans are back there supporting us and Senegal."
