Super Eagles Star Kelechi Iheanacho Sends Message to Eric Chelle Ahead of 2026 Unity Cup, Video
- Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho scored in Celtic's 2-1 win against Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, May 3
- The former Manchester City star's goal is a subtle message to coach Eric Chelle ahead of the 2026 Unity Cup
- Iheanacho has scored a total of four goals in the last five matches for the Scottish giants
- Nigerian sports journalist, Promise Okotokoto, spoke with Legit.ng on the chances of Iheanacho making a return
Kelechi Iheanacho has sent a strong message to Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle, ahead of the 2026 Unity Cup at The Valley stadium in Charlton, southeast London, later this month.
The Nigerian winger was on target in Celtic's 2-1 away win over Hibernian at the Easter Road Stadium on Sunday, May 3.
Source: Getty Images
Iheanacho came off the bench in the 70th minute to score the winning goal two minutes later, securing three points for the Hoops.
Daizen Maeda gave the visitors the lead in the 41st minute, scoring his fourth goal in three matches, before Joe Newell scored a controversial equaliser in the 45+3 minutes.
Kelechi Iheanacho once again proved to be the super sub, just as he had with his extra-time double in the Scottish Cup semi-final against St Mirren, as his fourth goal in five games perhaps handed Celtic the momentum in a seesaw, three-team title race, per Sky Sports.
Meanwhile, the home team was reduced to 10 men in the 21st minute following Jamie McGrath's challenge on Alastair, per BBC Sports.
Iheanacho reacts after scoring a vital goal
Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho has expressed joy at scoring the winning goal for Celtic in the Scottish Premier League against Hibernian.
According to Sky Sports Scotland, the former Middlesbrough star said he is always ready to give his contribution to the success of the club. He said:
“I always feel great to come in and help the team to get the win, so I’m happy today. The whole team is happy, and especially the fans.”
Meanwhile, Kelechi Iheanacho’s recent form will be hard to ignore as Nigeria prepare to compete in the 2026 Unity Cup in London.
The mini-tournament will feature Jamaica, Zimbabwe, and India, with two semi-finals and a final scheduled to be played at The Valley.
Source: Getty Images
Nigeria will face Zimbabwe in the first semi-final on May 26, and if they progress, they will meet the winner between India and Jamaica in the final on May 30.
Nigerian sports journalist Promise Okotokoto told Legit.ng that former Manchester City star Kelechi Iheanacho can still break into the team if he maintains the momentum for another two weeks.
Okotokoto explained that Super Eagles manager, Eric Chelle should be interested in performance rather than age. He said:
"Kelechi Iheanacho is a good player and all he needs is time. I strongly believe that he can make the squad for the 2026 Unity Cup if Chelle doesn't exclude him due to his age."
Iheanacho sends message to Chelle
Legit.ng earlier reported that Iheanacho scored Celtic's only goal in their 1-1 draw against Crvena Zvezda in their 2025 UEFA Europa League opening match on Wednesday night, September 24.
The Super Eagles forward replaced Daizen Maeda in the 46th minute and scored for the Scottish champions in the 55th minute.
Source: Legit.ng
