Fan debate: Iheanacho has scored in 12 straight games. Should Chelle recall him?
Kelechi Iheanacho has 16 goals in 12 league games for Bursaspor. The Tanzania squad is due soon. We set out the case for and against, and you decide.
Kelechi Iheanacho joined Bursaspor on a free transfer from Celtic in July. Since then he has done one thing, over and over: score. Soccernet reports he found the net again at the weekend, in a 4-2 win over Keciorengucu, making it 12 league games in a row with a goal. He has 16 goals and three assists in 12 appearances, and Bursaspor are top of the table. With Eric Chelle about to name his squad for Tanzania, the question is simple. Should Iheanacho be in it?
The case for
- Form is form. Scoring in 12 straight league games is rare at any level, and he is doing it as the main striker for a club chasing promotion.
- He offers something different. Iheanacho drops deep, links play and creates as well as scores, with three assists to go with his goals.
- Experience. He has played for Nigeria at major tournaments and knows the dressing room.
- Nigeria are three points behind Guinea-Bissau with two games against Tanzania to come. A striker in form is useful cover from the bench when you need a goal.
The case against
- The level. Bursaspor play in the TFF 1. Lig, Turkey's second division. Goals there are not the same as goals against international defences.
- The competition for places. Osimhen has just scored twice in the Istanbul derby, and Akor Adams scored for Nigeria against Russia in October.
- Squad balance. Chelle's bigger problem in October was midfield and defending, as we argued after [the defeat in Bissau](/naija-football/super-eagles-midfield-guinea-bissau/). Another forward does not fix that.
- Momentum. Bringing a player back for one window can unsettle those who have been in the squads all year.
Our view
If Osimhen is fit, he starts. The real question is the second striker spot and the bench. Iheanacho's run is too long to be luck, and a 23-man squad has room for a forward who can come on and change a game. But we would not drop Adams to make room for him. Tell us below, and vote in the striker poll.
For more context, read our original striker debate from before Osimhen's return, and this weekend's Nigerians abroad round-up.
Live fan poll
Voting closes Fri 13 Nov, 12:00 WAT
Who should lead the Super Eagles attack against Tanzania?
From the story: Osimhen is out. Who should lead the Super Eagles line against Tanzania?
Sources
- Nigerians abroad: Awaziem's brace leads a weekend of goals · Soccernet (opens in a new tab)
- Kelechi Iheanacho: Nigeria striker joins Bursaspor on free transfer from Celtic · Africa Soccer (opens in a new tab)
- Kelechi Iheanacho bos gecmiyor! 10 macta 14 gol · beIN Sports Turkey (opens in a new tab)
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Fantasy and Games Writer
Kunle runs the Fantasy desk: captain calls, fixture reads and the quizzes. No guaranteed picks, just the reasoning.
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Iheanacho in the Tanzania squad: yes or no, and who makes way?
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