The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Iheanacho

  • Iheanacho hits camp today

    • Set to become a Nigeria legend at 20

    Manchester City striker, Kelechi Iheanacho will arrive the Super Eagles camp in Abuja  today, according to his father, James Iheanacho.

    With four goals in his last four matches for the national team, the former Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles star will be hoping to enter the history books if he finds the net against Algeria.

    Kelechi Iheanacho’s run for Nigeria began on May 27 when he netted the winner against Mali after coming on as a substitute, then scored against Luxembourg four days later, and he followed this up with goals against Tanzania and Zambia.

    “Kelechi will be in Abuja tomorrow (Monday). He will definitely come for the match, ” said James Iheanacho to allnigeriasoccer.com.

    The 20-year-old replaced Sergio Aguero in the 90th minute in Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Boro in the Premier League on Saturday, and will be fresh to face the Algerians on Saturday.

  • Iheanacho dropped!

    Iheanacho dropped!

    Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho was dropped from the Manchester City squad that faced Barcelona in the Match-Day 3 of the UEFA Champions League yesterday.

    The 19-year-old was given the nod by Pep Guardiola at the weekend ahead of Sergio Aguero as the Citizens came from behind to draw 1-1 against Everton at the Etihad.

    He was expected to play a role at the Nou Camp against the Catalans but the manager completely dropped him in favour of a false 9 formation with Aguero benched while Kevin de Bruyne led the line. Unfortunately, it turned out as a rout for the visitors as a Lionel Messi hat-trick and a Neymar goal ensured a 4-0 scoreline with both teams finishing the game with 10-men.

    There were no words from the club if injury was the reason behind the Nigerian being dropped by the manager. Iheanacho has scored twice with three assists in the premier league for Manchester City.

  • CAF PLAYER OF 2016: IHEANACHO, MIKEL, THREE OTHERS SHORTLISTED

    CAF PLAYER OF 2016: IHEANACHO, MIKEL, THREE OTHERS SHORTLISTED

    FIVE Nigerians have been named to vie for the Glo-CAF African Player of the Year and the African Player of the Year (based in Africa) awards.
    The England-based trio of Mikel John Obi, Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho have been listed in the running for the continent’s biggest individual prize in football – the African Player of the Year – alongside 27 other top stars including Riyad Mahrez, Samuel Eto’o, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Andre Ayew, Victor Wanyama and Eric Bailly.
    In the award for the players based in Africa, Enyimba and Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) record scorer Mfon Udoh as well as Chisom Chikatara, now with Wydad Athletic Club (WAC), are up against 23 other players featuring for different clubs on the continent.
    Iheanacho, no doubt, has been named in the line-up for CAF’s biggest individual award following his impressive time at Manchester City since breaking into the first team of the English outfit. The 20-year-old has already scored four goals in four games for Nigeria this year.
    Mikel, notably, led the Nigeria under-23 team to a bronze medal finish at the Summer Olympics in Brazil while Musa was the kingpin in CSKA Moscow’s title win in Russia before he crossed to English champions Leicester City.
    Enyimba star Udoh, on the other hand, currently leads the goal-scorers’ chart in this year’s CAF Champions League. He has scored nine goals and unless Zamalek’s Bassem Morsy can score six more over two legs in the final against Mamelodi Sundowns, then the Nigerian forward will take that individual prize. CAF is expected to trim the number of nominees before the end of the year. The Glo-CAF Awards takes place in Abuja on January 5, 2017.

  • Algeria shops for Iwobi’s, Iheanacho’s markers

    Algeria shops for Iwobi’s, Iheanacho’s markers

    Ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Nigeria next month in Uyo, the Algerian Football Federation are in search of a top defender to strengthen the national team after the back-line struggled in their opener against Cameroon.

    Le Buteur is reporting that the Federation have beamed their searchlight on footballers playing in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1, and have planned a get-together for the invited players in the coming days.

    USM Algiers star Mohamed Benyahia , a former Algeria U17 international, is one of the candidates being considered in defense along with Mohamed Khoutir Ziti of ES Sétif, who could replace Mehdi Zeffane in the roster for the Nigeria clash.

    Meanwhile, Morocco manager Hervé Renard, who has been courted by Nigeria in the past, is the latest name linked with the vacant Desert Foxes job to offset the departure of Milovan Rajevac.

    Algeria have qualified for the World Cup on four occasions while their next opponents Nigeria have attended five of the last six editions of football’s showpiece event.

  • Zambia can’t stop all our stars – Iheanacho

    Zambia can’t stop all our stars – Iheanacho

    Super Eagles attacker, Kelechi Iheanacho believes Nigeria possesses too much quality for Zambia’s Chipolopolo and has predicted a win in today’s World Cup qualifier in Ndola.

    Iheanacho scored the winner in Nigeria‘s last international – a 1-0 victory over Tanzania in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Abuja on September 3.

    He is keen to repeat similar heroics at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola and reckons his teammates will be too strong for Zambia.

    “It’s an away game for us and is going to be a difficult one. We have great players that will make the difference against Zambia.

    “We have to overcome Zambia first before we can talk about Cameroon and Algeria.

    “However, it’s not going to be easy and nobody knows what is going to happen. We will keep fighting as a team to get to the World Cup,” Iheanacho told www.cafonline.com.

    The Manchester City who turned 20 on October 3 also revealed that failure to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations will serve as motivation for Nigeria to qualify for the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia.

    “It’s unfortunate we missed out on the 2017 AFCON but we are not out of everything. We have all put that behind us and our focus is on the next games.

    “We have to take that as a lesson and come back stronger to qualify for the World Cup.

    “I will also work hard for my country as an individual; and we are going to put in all hard work collectively as a team.

    “To play in the FIFA World Cup will be a dream come true for me and is going to help my career as a player too,” he said.

  • Iheanacho battles Iwobi, Rashford for Golden Boy award

    Iheanacho battles Iwobi, Rashford for Golden Boy award

    Nigerian duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Iwobi are among a 40-man shortlist for the 2016 Golden Boy Award.

    The annual award was established in 2003 by Italian newspaper Tuttosport to reward the exploits of youngsters under the age of 21 who have excelled in a calendar year.

    The winner will be picked after votes by a panel of journalists from around the continent.

    Iheanacho and Iwobi will battle the likes of Dele Alli (Tottenham), Gabriel Barbosa (Inter Milan), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) and Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich) amongst others for the coveted prize.

    Manchester United forward Anthony Martial is the current holder of the award while past winners include Wayne Rooney (2004), Lionel Messi (2005), Paul Pogba (2013), and Raheem Sterling (2014).

  • Iheanacho to Guardiola: Play me with Aguero

    Iheanacho to Guardiola: Play me with Aguero

    Super Eagles striker, Kelechi Iheanacho has sent a compassionate plea to Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola to play him upfront alongside Sergio Aguero  for their game against Swansea City today.

    The Argentine has served his ban for elbowing West Ham’s Winston Reid before the last international break and is expected to return to the starting line-up for the trip to the Swans, despite the form the Nigerian forward who deputised for him.

    No striker had a better goal-to-minute ratio than Iheanacho in the top flight last year and Guardiola’s trust in the player during Aguero’s suspension has paid off handsomely.

    The 19-year-old, who got a goal and an assist in the Manchester derby, followed by another goal in City’s Champions League win over Borussia Moechengladbach, believes there can be room for both of them in City’s starting line-up for their return to the Liberty Stadium following Wednesday’s 2-1 EFL Cup win.

    “Of course we can play together. We did it last season and linked up and it was very good, and a good experience for me. I will be happy if I can play alongside him again this season,” Iheanacho said.

    “Of course Sergio is back and he is a great player, so the manager has to choose the team that is going to start. It has been a good opportunity for me, I am happy, I am going to keep working hard to help the team get where they want.

    “The goals are going to come and I need to keep working hard. I am happy with my scoring record. Whenever you get a chance to play you have to take it, because you don’t know when the next one will come,”he said.

  • Swansea are Iheanacho’s favourite EPL opponents

    Swansea are Iheanacho’s favourite EPL opponents

    Swansea City  are Kelechi Iheanacho’s favourite opponents in the English Premier League, ahead of their meeting with Manchester City at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

    Last weekend, the Nigeria international notched his 10th goal since his debut in the English top-flight when he hit target in the 25th minute against Bournemouth.

    Iheanacho has managed to find the back of the net against seven Premier League teams : Bournemouth, Manchester United, Swansea City, Southampton, Stoke City, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace.

    The attacker claimed two goals each against Stoke City (April 23) and Southampton (May 1), and was on target at the Etihad and Liberty Stadium against Swansea City last season.

    Teams in England and Europe have conceded 17 goals from the Nigerian wonderkid in competitive fixtures alone.

  • Iheanacho ready for another Manchester derby

    Iheanacho ready for another Manchester derby

    Super Eagles forward, Kelechi Iheanacho, is already gearing up for another Manchester derby after Manchester City were drawn against Manchester United in the EFL Cup fourth round.

    The Nigerian international was in action on Wednesday night as the Pep Guardiola side edged out Swansea City 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium, while United ended a three-match losing streak by beating Northampton Town 3-1 to set up the derby.

    The Nigerian youngster had a memorable show in the first Manchester derby of the season played at Old Trafford where he scored a goal and provided an assist as City secured a 1-2 win over their rivals in the Premier League.

    The 19-year-old is now looking forward to another explosive encounter as they travel to Old Trafford on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 8pm.

    “Up to the next round it’s #manchesterderby again #MCFC,” he said on his Instagram account.

    The former Nigeria Under-17 star who scored his 10th Premier League goal against Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium as the Citizens romped to a 4-0 victory last Saturday, will be hoping to increase his tally as the team returns to the Liberty Stadium where they take on Swansea City on Saturday.

  • IHEANACHO SHINES AGAIN WITH HIGH-FLYING CITY

    IHEANACHO SHINES AGAIN WITH HIGH-FLYING CITY

    KELECHI Iheanacho scored his third consecutive goal this season and provided an assist as Manchester City extended their winning streak after a 4-0 thumping of Bournemouth.
    City are top of the table with 15 points from five matches with a +11 goals difference.
    Iheanacho scored his second league goal this season after 25 minutes, before he provided an assist for Raheem Sterling to get City’s third goal on 48 minutes.
    It has been unforgettable two weeks for the 19-year-old Nigerian striker, who has scored in the four games he has featured in that period.
    Iheanacho was the match winner for Nigeria in an AFCON qualifier against Tanzania on September 4, before he grabbed the match winner for City in the Manchester Derby.
    He will then net his first UEFA Champions League goal against German Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach at The Etihad.
    In another Premier League game, compatriot Alex Iwobi was credited with two assists as Arsenal won 4-1 at Hull City.
    It looked like Iwobi had scored his first league goal for the season when Arsenal went in front after 17 minutes, but the goal was later credited to Alexi Sanchez with Iwobi the provider. Iwobi also assisted in Theo Walcott’s goal after 55 minutes. Ahmed Musa was an unused sub as champions Leicester City thrashed promoted Burnley 3-0.