AFCON 2023: Cracks in Super Eagles Camp Over Iheanacho's Alleged Rift With Coach Jose Peseiro
- Kelechi Iheanacho, Nigerian forward and Leicester City star, has reportedly been having a rift with the Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro
- The former Manchester City forward was said to have been conspicuously absent in the pre-match conference of the team due to his frustration with the coach
- Iheanacho was said to be annoyed with the Portuguese manager over failure to feature him in matches so far
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Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire - Nigerian and Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho was reportedly absent at the Super Eagles' pre-match press conference on Tuesday, February 7, ahead of the showdown with the Bafana Bafana of South Africa.
His absence has reportedly led to speculation concerning the alleged rift between him and the team manager, Jose Peseiro.
Source: Twitter
Why Coach Peseiro has not played Iheanacho
Since the beginning of the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), the former forward of Manchester City striker has not played any match for Nigeria, raising concerns within the country's football community.
According to the Soccernet.ng, the Super Eagles' head coach, Peseiro, previously sought clarification.
The manager attributed not featuring Iheanacho to his recent recovery from injury, adding that if he did not intend to use Iheanacho, he would not have made him part of the team.
However, five games passing without Peseiro featuring Iheanacho, Terem Moffi, Ahmed Musa, Bruno Onyemaechi, and others, the absence of the Leicester City star from the pre-match conference was an indication of deeper frustration with the coach.
Why Iheanacho missed Super Eagles' pre-match conference
A source close to the development disclosed that the absence of Iheanacho was due to his frustration of having limited playing time in the 2023 AFCON.
It was understood that the Leicester City star was earlier scheduled to attend the conference with Peseiro.
The spokesperson of the Super Eagles, Babafemi Raji, told journalists that the team had decided that Ola Aina would be substituted for Iheanacho.
There are also indications that manager Peseiro struggled to include Iheanacho in the 3-4-3 formation, preferring to introduce defensive substitutes rather than attack during matches.
More about AFCON 2023
Osimhen doubtful for Super Eagles' clash with South Africa, details emerge
AFCON 2023: Super Eagles star leads chart of players with most tackle
2023 AFCON semi-final: List of times Nigeria has beaten South Africa since 1992
AFCON semi-final: Nigeria vs South Africa in history
Legit.ng earlier examined the outcome of past meetings between Nigeria and South Africa.
Since 1992, the two teams have faced each other 14 times, with the Super Eagles emerging victorious in seven encounters against South Africa.
South Africa had two wins within this period, while both countries drew five times.
Wednesday's show will be the fifteenth time, and many pundits have tipped Nigeria to defeat the South African team in the semi-final of the 2023 AFCON.
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Source: Legit.ng
