Kelechi Iheanacho scored in his 11th consecutive league match for Bursaspor on Monday night against Pendikspor (2-0). The Nigerian striker erases the all-time record in Turkish professional football, held by Metin Oktay and Saffet Sancaklı with 9 games in a row.
On Monday night, Nigerian international striker Kelechi Iheanacho scored Bursaspor’s second goal in the 2-0 win over Pendikspor at the Atatürk Spor Kompleksi Matlı stadium. His 62nd-minute goal took his tally to 15 in 11 Trendyol 1. Lig matches this season and extended a historic run: 11 consecutive league games with at least one goal.
That feat erases the all-time record in Turkish professional football, previously held by Galatasaray legend Metin Oktay (1962-1963) and by Turkish international Saffet Sancaklı with Kocaelispor (1995-1996), with 9 games in a row. Four days earlier, in the 3-0 win over Muğlaspor, Iheanacho had already stretched his run to 10 games, a mark he has now bettered.
A record broken, a run still going
Iheanacho’s goal came after striker Halil Akbunar had opened the scoring as early as the 10th minute. He doubled the lead and sealed Bursaspor’s win.
Speaking to Punch Newspapers, head coach Mustafa Er hailed the achievement while stressing how hard it is: “It’s a very difficult record to break. Our wish is for him to extend this streak even further.” The coach did, however, play down the individual significance of the feat: “To judge it solely through Iheanacho would be unfair to both the team and the club. The contributions of his teammates cannot be ignored.”
A goal-laden career
Before moving to Turkey, Iheanacho wore the shirts of Manchester City (46 matches, 12 goals), Leicester City (173 matches, 35 goals), Sevilla, Middlesbrough and Celtic. With the Nigeria national team (Super Eagles), he has 58 caps and 15 goals.
Under contract with Bursaspor until 30 June 2029, he is valued at around €2.8 million according to market value estimates.
Next up: matchday 12
With 15 goals and 4 assists in 11 league matches, Iheanacho is a heavyweight in Bursaspor’s attack. The club sits top of the Turkish second division with 20 league goals scored, 15 of them by the Nigerian striker.
The next fixture is on matchday 12 of the Trendyol 1. Lig, where Iheanacho will try to stretch his run to 12 consecutive games.