Exclusive : Coaches don’t know how to use Iheanacho – Siasia laments… says he is a special player in Eagles

In an exclusive interview with Totorinews,  Samson Siasia, former coach of the Super Eagles has opined that Kelechi Iheanacho is a special player and very relevant in the Super Eagles.

He, however lamented that the coaches have not really observed the qualities of Iheanacho to know how to effectively use the attacker to his maximum potentials in the Super Eagles and even at his club, Leicester City in England.

“We know Kelechi Iheanacho is a good player.  If he is not a good player,  he would not have played for Man City. If he is not a good player,  he cannot be playing in Leicester City now.” Siasia said.

“I think the coaches don’t know how to use him.  He is a kind of a special player. You have to know the right position to put him. If you don’t use him well,  he will never shine. That is the reason he is having problems at his club and the Super Eagles too,” he added.

“They don’t know how to play him, but he is one of best finishers we have in Nigeria. In front of goal,  he is very very good. You can’t take that away from him.  But how do you play Kelechi to make sure he is very effective in the Eagles,” he  queried.

He went further proferring solutions on how to bring out the best in the attacker, insisting that Kelechi is still relevant in the scheme of things in the Super Eagles.

“He is very relevant in the Super Eagles.. I think he can become a second striker because he is not a natural number 9. So use him as a support striker,  but players especially the midfielders need to work around him and help him because he does not defend very well.

“You play two strikers and two defensive or holding midfielders behind him that can defend well for him and he must work hard to mark very well once he loses the ball.

“Going forward, he is very effective. If he has one chance, it is one goal.  We all know that football is all about scoring goals, so when you have an attacker that can give you goals in the team,  you can’t do away with such a player.

“So, it is how you play Kelechi to make him as good as he ought to be to help the team. I think this is what the coaches will have to figure out. He did well at the World Cup. He is a good player.

“Talking about confidence, that is what coaches gives to players that are having difficulties at their clubs,  but that  can always come to the National team and do well. So Kelechi need that confidence to come good for himself and for the Super Eagles, he concluded.