Iheanacho last scored for Super Eagles in the first leg of the encounter between Nigeria and Liberia in Lagos
By Kehinde Okeowo
Super Eagles gaffer, Gernot Rohr has blamed Kelechi Iheanacho’s goals drought in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers on the poor pitches in the country.
Iheanacho has been in good goal-scoring form for his club, Leicester City, in the English Premier League, but has not been able to repeat the same while playing for Nigeria.
His last goal for Nigeria, was a brace against Liberia in the first encounter against Liberia in September, at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.
The German tactician made this known in an interview monitored by Completesport.com on Elegbete TV recently.
According to Rohr, Iheanacho plays as the second striker behind Jamie Vardy at the club level, he also assumes a similar role while partnering with Osinhem in the National team.
” We use Kelechi like he is used in Leicester, like 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 like 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.” Rohr said.
The 68-year-old gaffer also said the smooth surface at Leicester City aided Iheanacho’s Goal-scoring form, while the poor state of Nigerian pitches hindered him.
“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,” he added.