Kelechi Iheanacho Reveals How He Felt Before Taking Match-winning Penalty Against South Africa

Super Eagles forward, Kelechi Iheanacho has described the moment he had to score the match-winning penalty against South Africa on Wednesday, February 7, as a “make or break” moment.

Kelechi Iheanacho, who was one of the last players to link up with the Super Eagles in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, ahead of the 2023 AFCON, hasn’t started a game in the tournament so far.

The Leicester City forward had not played any minute in the tournament before the South Africa vs Nigeria clash on Wednesday.

During Wednesday’s game, coach Jose Peseiro who is reportedly at loggerhead with the player before the tournament, introduced him into the game in extra time.

He couldn’t help the Super Eagles win the game within the extra period as the match ended in a 1-1 draw and was decided by a penalty shootout.

Fortunately for Kelechi Iheanacho, he was the last among the five players selected to take Super Eagles’ spot-kicks and successfully converted it to seal a 4-2 shootout win.

After the win, Iheanacho told reporters that he felt like the entire country was on his shoulder at the point of taking his spot-kick.

“I felt at that moment, I was carrying the hope of the nation on my shoulder. The penalty was either make or break but I thank God who made it possible for us to go through to the final,” Iheanacho said.

It will be interesting to see whether coach Jose Peseiro will give Kelechi Iheanacho any minute in the 2023 AFCON final against Ivory Coast at 9 p.m. on Sunday, February 11.