Kelechi Iheanacho Scores Again in Bursaspor's Draw with Antalyaspor
Kelechi Iheanacho’s goalscoring streak may have been snapped last weekend, but his instinct has not gone anywhere.
The Nigerian forward was on the scoresheet again on Friday night, striking in the first half of Bursaspor’s 1-1 draw with Antalyaspor in the TFF 1. Lig at the Antalya Stadium. It was not the full reward his side wanted, yet it underlined once more why he has become the heartbeat of their attack.
Iheanacho strikes, then watches lead slip away
Bursaspor started with intent, and Iheanacho quickly set the tone. He almost broke the deadlock early on, rattling the side of the post as the visitors pushed Antalyaspor back and tried to seize control.
The warning went unheeded.
In the 26th minute, Amine Boutrah found space and picked out Iheanacho with a precise delivery. The finish matched the pass. Composed, clinical, the 30-year-old swept the ball home to give the Green-and-Whites the lead their pressure deserved.
He did not stop there. Six minutes later, the former Leicester City striker peeled away again, meeting another Boutrah ball and coming close to doubling the advantage. This time, the execution deserted him and the chance went begging.
Bursaspor would pay for that wastefulness right on the cusp of halftime. As the interval approached, Antalyaspor clawed their way back. Toral Bayramov turned the ball past his own goalkeeper, Kerem Matışlı, and the hosts were level with almost the last action of the half. One lapse, one moment, and Bursaspor’s advantage was gone.
Disallowed goal denies decisive moment
After the break, Iheanacho tried to drag the game back his way.
He thought he had done exactly that. Another sharp move, another assured finish, and the net bulged again. For a brief moment, Bursaspor celebrated what looked like their second goal and Iheanacho’s brace.
The flag cut the joy short. The effort was ruled out for offside due to an infringement in the build-up, and with it went Bursaspor’s best chance of reclaiming control.
From there, the contest tightened. The former Manchester City and Sevilla forward kept probing, searching for space, looking for one more decisive touch. Antalyaspor held firm, and the match drifted towards a stalemate neither side could quite break.
When the final whistle went, both teams had to settle for a point.
Record run intact, form undimmed
For Bursaspor, the draw will sting. For Iheanacho, the goal still matters.
His strike on the night was his 17th league goal since arriving in Turkey and the first since his extraordinary scoring run ended in the 3-0 win over Bandırmaspor last weekend. Before that match, he had scored 16 times in 12 consecutive league games, a record-breaking sequence in Turkish football that announced him as one of the division’s most ruthless finishers.
That kind of form does not disappear overnight. It evolves.
Back on the scoresheet, the Super Eagles forward has quickly reminded defenders that his confidence remains intact and his influence on this Bursaspor side is undiminished. The streak may be over, but another one can always begin.
As the campaign rolls on, the question is no longer whether Iheanacho will score. It is how far his goals can carry Bursaspor.
