Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone shortly after Nigeria recorded their third successive win at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Kelechi Iheanacho was delighted to finish the group phase with a hundred percent record.
The Leicester City striker has insisted that the Super Eagles are not under pressure to win the tournament in Cameroon after they were written off due to their struggle to qualify for the 2022 World Cup qualifying playoffs.
Iheanacho has emerged as one of the key players under interim boss Augustine Eguavoen, alongside Wilfred Ndidi and William Troost-Ekong, and has adapted to a new role as the team’s playmaker.
“Winning all the three games is outstanding so we are really happy, we are looking forward to the next games,” Iheanacho said.
On if the team is under pressure being tagged favourites to win the AFCON, the Super Eagles number 14 said : “Not at all, the fans need to say what they saw, we are only concentrating on our game, we take it one game at a time”.
Iheanacho concluded by highlighting two new things the Super Eagles have learned under Eguavoen at the Africa Cup of Nations compared to the way they played in the last four years under erstwhile coach Gernot Rohr.
“We have been strong in recent times but the new identity in the national team is very, very important.
“We know how to play and and how to move between lines . We’ve got what we need so we need to carry on like that”.
