Super Eagles watch: Iheanacho rated high in Bursaspor’s win over Bodrum

Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho made an impressive debut for Bursaspor as they secured a 2-0 win over Bodrum FK in the Turkish First League on Sunday, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 29-year-old joined the club last month after leaving Celtic when his contract expired following a one-year spell with the Scottish giants. During his time in Scotland, he won the league title and also played a starring role in the Scottish Cup final victory over Dunfermline Athletic, scoring in the match.

The former Leicester City striker opened the scoring in the first half after getting on the end of a through ball before calmly finishing past the Bodrum goalkeeper. He then turned provider shortly before halftime when he set up Lincoln Henrique to double Bursaspor’s advantage.

Soccer Bodrum FK vs Bursaspor: How the game was played

Bodrum FK finished fifth in the Turkish 1. Lig last season and were keen to start their new campaign on a positive note when they faced Bursaspor, who had gained promotion to the league as they continued their rise back towards the Turkish Super Lig.

New signing Iheanacho made his debut for Bursaspor following his summer move, with plenty of attention on how the experienced forward would perform in his first competitive appearance for the club.

It took just 27 minutes for him to make his mark. After some nice build-up play from Bursaspor, a long ball from midfield found the Super Eagles forward, who ghosted in between the Bodrum defenders before firing his effort past the goalkeeper.

The assistant referee initially ruled out the goal for offside, but a VAR check showed that Iheanacho had timed his run perfectly, with the goal subsequently awarded.

The Super Eagles star was involved in Bursaspor’s second goal as well, linking up nicely with Henrique before the Brazilian doubled his side’s advantage and gave them a two-goal lead going into halftime.

Despite Bodrum FK’s best attempts to get back into the game after the break, Bursaspor held on to secure a 2-0 victory and get their campaign off to a flying start.

Soccer Super Eagles player ratings: Iheanacho marks debut with goal and assist

All eyes were on Iheanacho following his move to Bursaspor, with questions over how the Super Eagles forward would perform on his debut.

Instead, the 29-year-old produced an impressive display, playing a key role in helping his new club secure all three points.

Iheanacho was on the pitch for the full 90 minutes and took three shots during the match, which was the joint-most in the game alongside Bodrum forward Ali Habesoglu.

The former Manchester City and Leicester City forward had a hand in both of Bursaspor’s goals, scoring one and assisting another. He also created two chances, while all three of his attempts were on target.

Iheanacho completed 86% of his passes and won 67% of his aerial duels during the clash and his performance earned him a rating of 8.6 from FotMob, making him the highest-rated player in the match.

Soccer A way back into the Super Eagles setup

Iheanacho last featured for the Super Eagles in the 2025 Unity Cup final and has since been left out of head coach Eric Chelle’s squad.

Despite his impressive performances for Celtic towards the end of last season, the forward was still unable to earn a recall to the national team, although he had been tipped to make a return.

However, a strong start to life in Turkey could give Iheanacho another opportunity to force his way back into Chelle’s plans and earn his first Super Eagles recall in over a year.

His performance against Bodrum showed that the experienced forward still has the quality to make an impact when given the opportunity, and maintaining that level could put him back in contention for a place in Nigeria’s highly competitive attack.

Iheanacho will have another chance to build on his impressive debut when Bursaspor face Igdir in their next match on Saturday.