Super Eagles watch: 4 things Kelechi Iheanacho can achieve with Bursaspor

Super Eagles striker Kelechi Iheanacho has made the kind of start that can quickly change the mood around a new club, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Nigeria international has scored in each of Bursaspor’s first four 1. Lig matches, giving him four goals and two assists after four games. His latest contribution came on Saturday, when he scored a 58th-minute equaliser and assisted Alperen Babacan for the winner in a 2-1 victory at Kayserispor.

The 29-year-old joined Bursaspor in July after helping Celtic win the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup in the 2025-26 season. He scored nine goals in 24 appearances for the Scottish club before moving to Turkey. His first four league games have already given Bursaspor supporters a reason to believe that their new striker can play a major role in the club’s return to the top level.

Bursaspor won the Turkish third tier last season and secured promotion to the 1. Lig. Now the club wants another promotion. That would take it back to the Süper Lig, where Bursaspor last played in 2018-19. The club also has a special place in Turkish football history because it won its first top-flight title in 2009-10.

Iheanacho’s top targets at Bursaspor

1. Help Bursaspor return to the Süper Lig

Iheanacho, who holds several records in England, already has a clear target. Before joining Bursaspor, he said the club’s plan to reach the Süper Lig and later play in Europe convinced him to accept the move.

That goal now has a strong start. Bursaspor beat Bodrum FK 2-0 on August 9, with Iheanacho scoring in the 27th minute and assisting Lincoln Henrique for the second goal. He then scored in a 1-0 win over Iğdır FK the following week. The former Manchester City striker also scored in the 2-1 defeat by Fatih Karagümrük before his goal and assist against Kayserispor.

Those results left Bursaspor with three wins from four league matches and nine points. Iheanacho has been directly involved in six goals in that run.

The challenge is to keep producing when the season becomes harder. Bursaspor are trying to climb from the second tier back to a league they left after relegation in 2019. Iheanacho can become the main attacking figure in that comeback.

2. Challenge for the 1. Lig Golden Boot

Four goals from four matches puts Iheanacho at the top of the early 1. Lig scoring chart. Julien Anziani, Rey Manaj, Mame Biram Diouf, Batuhan Kör, Aleksandar Pešić, Taulant Seferi and Rogerio Conceicao are among the players on three goals.

His scoring rate is also strong. Iheanacho has played 334 minutes and has scored four goals, giving him 1.08 goals per 90 minutes. He also has two assists.

The Golden Boot race is still at an early stage, so the first four games do not guarantee anything. But Iheanacho has already created a useful advantage. If he keeps scoring against stronger opponents and avoids long gaps between goals, he can turn a fast start into a serious Golden Boot challenge.

3. Set a personal scoring record in Turkey

This is a new statistical challenge for Iheanacho because Bursaspor is his first Turkish club. That means every league goal he scores in Turkey will add to his personal Turkish record.

There is a more meaningful target, though. His best Premier League league season came in 2020-21, when he scored 12 goals in 25 appearances for Leicester City. He also scored 19 goals in all competitions that season.

Iheanacho needs only eight more 1. Lig goals to reach 12 this season. If he goes beyond that mark, he will have his highest league goal total in a single season since that Leicester campaign. A 15-goal or 20-goal season would give him a much stronger personal mark and make his Bursaspor spell one of the most productive periods of his career.

4. Force his way back into the Super Eagles picture

There is also a national-team prize. Iheanacho has a long history with Nigeria. The former Sevilla forward boasts 14 goals in 58 appearances for the Super Eagles, including three appearances and one goal in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

His place in the Super Eagles attack is not guaranteed, however. Nigeria have several forwards competing for places, including Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface, Tolu Arokodare, Terem Moffi and others. Iheanacho was part of Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles squad for the 2025 Unity Cup, but he has not been invited for any international engagement since then.

A full season of goals and assists at Bursaspor would give Chelle a strong reason to look at him again. Iheanacho’s four goals and two assists in his first four league games have started that argument. The next step is consistency.

At 29, Iheanacho is not starting from scratch. He is trying to turn a bright beginning in Bursa into a full season that delivers promotion, personal records and another chance to wear the green and white of Nigeria.