Super Eagle’s Coach, Rohr Explains Iheanacho’s Goal Drought With Nigerian National Team

Gernot Rohr has explained why Super Eagles striker Kelechi Iheanacho has not been scoring for the National team.

Infoexpert24  reports that the Technical adviser said there was a difference between playing in the Premier League and playing at home in Nigeria.

The last time Kelechi Iheanacho scored for Nigeria was in September in a 2022 World Cup qualifier against Liberia in Lagos and has struggled to find the net in subsequent games.

Kelechi Iheanacho

Meanwhile, the Leicester City forward bagged 12 Premier League goals for his club last season and has scored once in the topflight so far this season.

And Rohr, who was speaking in an interview with Elegbete TV, said Iheancho’s inability to maintain his goal-scoring form is a result of the poor state of pitches in Nigeria.

“We use Kelechi [Iheanacho] like he is used in Leicester, as a second striker. He is playing with Jamie Vardy, but he is not starting so much, actually, yeah.

“He is coming in but not playing all the time. But we try to give him the same opportunity as what he is used to with his club. That’s what we try all the time with the players.

“We had Osimhen, not Vardy, and Kelechi was the second striker, coming sometimes from behind, taking the ball, giving decisive passes like he is doing in his club more and more. He even gives decisive passes than he scores goals, actually.

“So the real problem is, I think he doesn’t have the same conditions of the pitches and everything in Nigeria like he has in England. It’s a different football,” Rohr added.

Infoexpert24 understands that Kelechi Iheanacho is part of the 24-man squad already invited to execute Nigeria’s two games this month against Liberia and Cape Verde in the World Cup qualifiers.