Mr FA Cup Iheanacho Speaks On His Heroics In The Competition
Nigerian fires Leicester City to the next round for the second straight game
Mr FA Cup Kelechi Iheanacho proved the hero for Leicester City for the second straight game in the FA Cup when he scored the winner at Walsall on Saturday to ensure his club’s passage to the fifth round of the competition.
The Nigerian, 26, had scored the only goal of the game when the Foxes defeated Gilligham at the Priestfield Stadium in the third round of the competition early January.
The former Manchester City forward has now scored 17 goals in the 23 apperances he has amde in the competition since he made his debut in January 2016.
Since his debut in the competition, Iheanacho’s 17 goals is the most of any player and he has netted seven in his last seven appearances in the cup, including his brace in the 3-1 defeat of Manchester United at the quarter-final stage in March 2021.
In fact it was the Nigerian’s four goals and an assist in six games that propelled Leicester City to their first FA Cup win in decades. Two of the goals (1-0 defeats of Brighton and Southampton) were match winners and he seems to be toeing the same path again.
Iheanacho has now revealed his love for the oldest and most glamorous cup football competition in the world.
“I’ve always loved this competition and the competition loves me, so I’m happy,” he beamed to LCFC TV during his post-match assessment of the victory. “It’s a good game to get through to the next round, so we’re happy.
“For me, it’s no different in terms of the way I approach games, the way I play and all that. Any time I get my chance, I get on there and do my job.”
Iheanacho however acknowledged that it was somewhat fortunate to ricochet and send the ball over Walsall ‘keeper Owen Evans.
He explained: “It (the goal) took a deflection but obviously it was in and we are through, that’s the most important thing. It’s for the team, we did it together, so everyone did their bit.
“We got the goal and we controlled the game. We played really well [in the second half], I think it was a good game. They were a really decent side as well, but we won the game.”
