Former Nigerian international Seyi Olofinjana believes that Super Eagles striker Kelechi Iheanacho has not reached his full potential and that the 28-year-old has the ability to become one of the greats of the game.
Iheanacho began his senior career at Manchester City during the 2015–16 season, winning the Football League Cup before moving to Leicester City in 2017 for a reported £25 million fee, the largest ever transfer amount for a Nigerian player at the time and the second-largest for an African player after Egyptian Mohamed Salah.
At Leicester City, Iheanacho contributed immensely to the 2020–21 FA Cup success, scoring a joint-high four goals across the edition as the club won the trophy for the first time. He also scored the only goal from the penalty spot as they defeated Manchester City to lift the 2021 FA Community Shield.
The Nigerian striker later received Leicester’s Player of the Year award for the 2022-23 season before scoring six goals in 26 matches in all competitions, helping Leicester secure promotion back to the Premier League.
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However, since leaving Leicester in 2024 and joining Sevilla, Iheanacho has struggled to get consistent game time, scoring three goals in 11 games for the Spanish side before leaving on loan for Middlesbrough where he has recorded one goal and two assists.
Iheanacho’s form led to his exclusion from the Super Eagles’ 23-man squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, causing concern among Nigerian supporters.
In an interview with Brila, Seyi Olofinjana spoke on Kelechi Iheanacho saying, “Kelechi Iheanacho hasn’t really fulfilled his potential. He has the ability to be a true great of the game. As African players, we get satisfied too easily.”
It remains to be seen what is the next step for the 28-year-old. With his loan at Middlesbrough coming to an end, his future remains uncertain, but it is hoped that a good move to fully revive his career can still be achieved.
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