Kelechi Iheanacho skips CAF conference amid ongoing discord with Peseiro

Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho’s non-participation in Tuesday’s official pre-match conference ahead of Nigeria’s encounter with South Africa has sparked speculation about his dissatisfaction with coach Jose Peseiro.

Throughout the Africa Cup of Nations tournament, the former Manchester City forward has yet to make an appearance on the field, causing concerns within the Nigerian football community.

Earlier, clarification had been sought from Super Eagles head coach Peseiro regarding Iheanacho’s situation. Peseiro attributed the striker’s lack of playing time to his recent recovery from injury, emphasizing that if he didn’t intend to use Iheanacho, he wouldn’t have included him in the squad.

However, despite five games passing without Iheanacho playing, with Terem Moffi, Ahmed Musa, Bruno Onyemaechi, and others featuring, Iheanacho’s decision to abstain from the pre-match conference suggests a deeper level of frustration with the coach.

A source close to the situation revealed that Iheanacho’s absence from the presser is due to his dissatisfaction with his limited playing time during the tournament, despite initially being scheduled to attend alongside coach Peseiro.

Meanwhile, Nigerian Super Eagles spokesman Babafemi Raji disclosed to reporters that it was the team’s decision for Ola Aina to substitute for Iheanacho.

There are suggestions that Peseiro struggles to integrate the Leicester City forward into his preferred 3-4-3 system, preferring defensive substitutes over attacking ones during games.