Super Eagles: 5 facts you didn’t know about Kelechi Iheanacho

Super Eagles striker Kelechi Iheanacho has enjoyed a career that has taken him from watching Premier League matches from outside a Nigerian viewing centre to becoming one of the most successful African scorers in FA Cup history, Afrik-Foot reports.

Manchester City, Leicester City, Sevilla, Middlesbrough and Celtic have all featured in his career, while he has also represented Nigeria at two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Iheanacho’s career has produced plenty of familiar moments, from his spectacular emergence at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup to his FA Cup exploits with Leicester, but there are several less obvious details that make his journey even more remarkable.

Afrik-Foot presents five facts you may not know about the Nigerian forward.

Super Eagles: 5 facts you didn’t know about Kelechi Iheanacho

1. He once struggled to afford ₦50 to watch Premier League matches

Before Iheanacho was scoring Premier League goals himself, watching English football was a luxury.

He would sometimes go to a local game centre to watch Premier League matches, but even that was not always possible because watching a game cost 50 naira.

The Nigerian revealed in an interview with Manchester City that his family did not own a television while he was growing up.

“I did not have that kind of money,” Iheanacho explained.

Instead, he would sometimes wait outside and play football with friends before finding out what had happened in the match afterwards. In 2012, however, he saved enough money to watch the final day of the Premier League season.

That meant he was able to witness Sergio Agüero’s famous stoppage-time goal against Queens Park Rangers, which secured Manchester City’s first Premier League title.

Sergio Aguero. Man City v QPR, 2012.

Ultimate drama 🍿 pic.twitter.com/CXQsDkHOPE

— Premier League (@premierleague) July 28, 2024

A few years later, Iheanacho would become Agüero’s Manchester City teammate.

The journey from struggling to pay to watch the Argentine to playing alongside him in the Premier League is one of the most remarkable parts of Iheanacho’s story.

2. His first Manchester City goal came with his first touch

Iheanacho needed almost no time to announce himself after breaking into Manchester City’s first team.

The Nigerian scored his first Premier League goal against Crystal Palace during the 2015/16 season after coming on as a substitute.

He was introduced late in the match and scored the winner with his first touch.

🇳🇬🤩 When a 18-year-old Kelechi Iheanacho scored a 90th minute winner for Manchester City against Crystal Palace! Today, he turns 30! ✅✨ pic.twitter.com/dop7Ps5EkX

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) October 3, 2026

It was a spectacular introduction to English football for the teenager and immediately demonstrated the finishing ability that had made him one of Africa’s most highly rated young players.

Iheanacho went on to enjoy an outstanding first full season at City, scoring 14 goals in 35 appearances across all competitions.

He scored seven more goals the following season before leaving the club for Leicester City in 2017.

3. He produced six goals and five assists at the 2013 U-17 World Cup

Iheanacho was already a major prospect before he ever played senior football in Europe.

At the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, he played a starring role as Nigeria won the tournament.

The forward scored six goals and supplied five assists during the competition, according to Manchester City’s contemporary record.

He also scored four times in Nigeria’s opening 6-1 victory over Mexico. His performances earned him the tournament’s Golden Ball award as the best player.

That tournament changed the trajectory of his career. European clubs quickly took notice, with Manchester City moving quickly to secure his services.

For a player who was still a teenager, the combination of six goals and five assists on the world’s biggest youth stage was an extraordinary introduction to international football.

4. CAF named him Africa’s Most Promising Talent before his senior breakthrough

Iheanacho’s success at the U-17 World Cup was followed by another major individual honour. In January 2014, he was named CAF’s Most Promising Talent of the Year.

The award came before his Manchester City first-team breakthrough and underlined how highly he was regarded across African football.

At that stage, Iheanacho had not yet established himself in senior European football. Yet, within a little over a year, he had gone from winning the U-17 World Cup Golden Ball to earning recognition from CAF as one of the continent’s most promising young players.

5. He is the highest-scoring African in FA Cup history

Perhaps the most impressive record attached to Iheanacho’s English career is his FA Cup scoring record.

The Nigerian is the highest-scoring African player in FA Cup history, with 18 goals in the competition.

He surpassed Didier Drogba’s previous record of 12 goals during Leicester City’s run in the 2020/21 FA Cup.

Iheanacho scored twice against Manchester United in Leicester’s 3-1 quarter-final victory that season, taking him beyond Drogba’s mark.

He then scored the only goal in the semi-final against Southampton as Leicester reached the final for the first time in the club’s history.

Leicester eventually beat Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley to win their first FA Cup, thanks to a brilliant strike from Youri Tielemans.

Iheanacho’s overall record stands at 18 goals in 25 FA Cup appearances, putting him ahead of every other African player in the competition’s history. With no current player in double figures, the record is set to stand for years to come.

His 18 goals have come at an average of more than a goal every 130 minutes in the competition.

From struggling to find 50 naira to watch Premier League football in Nigeria to becoming the African player with the most FA Cup goals, Iheanacho’s career has travelled a remarkable distance.