Bursaspor coach praises Iheanacho's performance

Kelechi Iheanacho. Photo: X/@67Kelechi

Bursaspor coach Mustafa Er says the club is happy with Kelechi Iheanacho's performance. They worked hard to bring the Nigerian striker to the team, despite interest from other clubs, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Er mentioned that the club's reputation helped convince Iheanacho to join. He added that the forward's ability to score goals was what Bursaspor expected when they signed him.

“We transferred Iheanacho so that he would score goals. We worked very hard for that transfer. We also need to thank our management,” Er told reporters at the Özlüce İbrahim Yazıcı Facilities on Friday.

“There was a lot of demand for him. The size of the club was also very important in his choosing us. We are getting the contribution we want.”

Er also spoke about the team's growing spirit and effort. He hopes that Iheanacho will keep scoring.

“Iheanacho continues to score. I hope he scores this week too. We have a positive team,” Er said.

“There is tremendous progress in team spirit. Productivity is also increasing. People are more productive when they are happy. We win as a team.”

Iheanacho has been performing well in Turkey's second division. He has scored 11 goals in eight straight matches and provided two assists for Bursaspor.

The 29-year-old joined the Turkish club as a free agent in the summer of 2026. This came after talks with Scottish Premiership champions Celtic fell through in July.

Last season, he scored nine goals in 24 matches across all competitions for Celtic. He helped the club win a domestic double after joining them in September 2025.

Bursaspor succeeded in attracting Iheanacho despite interest from several clubs, including Celtic. He had turned down an offer from the Scottish side before deciding to move to Turkey.

Iheanacho has continued his scoring on the international stage too. He scored the opening goal in the 10th minute during Nigeria’s 3-3 draw with Russia on October 6.