AFCON 2023: Football analyst seeks inclusion of Iheanacho against S/Africa

A football analyst, Festus Alenkhe, has called for the inclusion of Kelechi Ihaenacho in the squad to play South Africa in the semifinal of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) on  Wednesday.

Alenkhe,  who is the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo council  made the call  in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Benin.

According to him, the introduction of the player would make the team more formidable.

“I am wondering why the coach has not played Iheanacho. If the coach is listening to me, I think he should play him in the second half of the semifinal.

He congratulated the Super Eagles for their hard fought 1-0 victory against their Angolan counterparts in the quarterfinal match.

Alenkhe said that the quarterfinal match was tension-soaked but the players were resistant, adding that they should  ensure that the trophy comes to Nigeria.

The chairman said that prior to the tournament, Nigeria was not perceived as favourites to lift the trophy, but events of the last few days had shown that the team had a better chance.

The chairman called on the technical crew to improve on the midfield to stand a better chance against the South Africans.

“We need to improve on our midfield. To me, the defence is very okay and the attack too, but we must work on the midfield, “he said.