Since their summer arrivals at Sevilla, Chidera Ejuke, who’s off to a strong start, has voiced support for Kelechi Iheanacho, who is still struggling for regular minutes and an impact in Spain.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles winger Chidera Ejuke has expressed his belief in the quality of his compatriot Kelechi Iheanacho, who is currently experiencing a difficult start at Sevilla.
Since their summer arrivals at Sevilla, Ejuke and Iheanacho’s fortunes have taken different directions. Ejuke has shown early promise — scoring once in eight appearances, earning the title of La Liga’s top dribbler and securing Sevilla’s Player of the Month award for September. Iheanacho, on the other hand, remains on the fringes, with limited game time and yet to leave a significant impression.
Despite Iheanacho’s slow start, Ejuke backed his teammate in an interview with Marca. “Kelechi is a great guy. He’s a good player. That’s why Victor Orta brought him to Sevilla,’’ the former CSKA Moscow winger said. “Obviously, at the moment, he’s a striker, and he wants to score goals, he wants to help the team. So he’s probably thinking about that. But I think, above all, he’s a great guy and a good person who brings a lot of energy to the team.”
Sevilla head coach García Pimienta had earlier backed Iheanacho’s quality, emphasising that the forward is still settling into La Liga after a late start. “He has quality, but he came a month late and was training individually. He is adapting. The two weeks with the national team, during which he didn’t play, didn’t do him any good,” Pimienta told Onda Cero. “He’s a quality footballer for everything he has done, and sooner rather than later, we will see him at his best.”
Despite their contrasting club form, Iheanacho and Ejuke have been called up to the Super Eagles squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Libya on Friday, October 11, and Tuesday, October 15. While it’s a routine call-up for Iheanacho, Ejuke is making his return to the national team for the first time in four years, after last featuring in the October 2020 international friendlies.
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