‘Season’s not going to plan - but I’m certain things will get better’

IHEANACHO ADMITS TO FRUSTRATION AT CITY’S STOP-START CAMPAIGN

KELECHI Iheanacho has admitted Leicester City’s season is “not going as planned” as he targets more wins and more goals in 2022.

The striker is hoping the new year brings more victories for the club and more opportunities for himself, with City in mid-table as the midpoint of the campaign nears, and with Iheanacho having only made six Premier League starts. Despite ending 2021 with victory over title-challengers Liverpool, their current midtable position is short of where City expected to be. Iheanacho, despite finishing as top scorer last season, has found chances difficult to come by this term – and is out for the forseeable future as he joins up with Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament, which starts on Sunday in Cameroon. Despite the stop-start nature of City’s campaign, Iheanacho has still registered four goals and seven assists in his limited time on the pitch, averaging a goal involvement every 92 minutes.

The 25-year-old knows better than anyone how a season can turn around in just a few months, as he scored 16 between February and May in the second half of last season.

“We set targets of what we want to do and where we want to go, and obviously it’s not going as planned,” he said.

“But I think we need to get back to the drawing board and pick the pieces up and move on and try to win football matches.

“The more we win, the more we’ll see where we are. We need to be strong to compete because it’s a very tough league.

“We believe we can get ourselves back there, we just need to put in the hard work and take it one game at a time.”

Once Iheanacho returns from the Afcon, which could be more than a month away if Nigeria go all the way to the Sunday, February 6 final, he is confident he will start adding to his tally and get closer to his total of 19 from last season.

He added: “It’s been ups and downs. It’s not been coming, the goals, but I believe it’s going to come.

“We’re going into the second half of the season now, and I believe it’s going to come.

“When the chances come, it’s just to be composed and to be confident to take them. I believe the chances will come and hopefully I’m going to take them.”

Nigeria start their campaign with a tough game against Egypt, Mo Salah and all, on Tuesday, January 11.

They then face Sudan four days later and finish off their group games against Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday, January 19.

If, as expected, Nigeria come through the group – the top two qualify from each one – they will go into the knockout round-of-16 stage.