SEVILLA head coach Garcia Pimenta believes Kelechi Iheanacho has not thrived at the club yet due to his lack of game time in the recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Iheanacho did not get off the bench in both AFCON qualifiers earlier this month against Benin Republic and Rwanda, and has struggled at Sevilla since joining the Spanish club as a free agent in August.
The 27-year-old former Leicester City star has no goal involvement in four LaLiga appearances for Sevilla.
“He has quality, but he came a month late, training individually. He is adapting. The two weeks with the national team, in which he did not play, did not do him any good,” Pimenta said as he previewed Sunday’s Liga clash with Athletic Bilbao.
“We have to give him confidence. He is a quality footballer for everything he has done and sooner rather than later we have to see him at his best. He has the capacity and quality for it.”
Meanwhile, the coach hailed Chidera Ejuke, who scored their winning goal against Real Valladolid last Tuesday, becoming the club’s first Nigerian goalscorer.
“For me he is a top starter. He came on and did two very good things. That’s what he is there for, so that I have no doubts. I congratulate him from here and I hope he continues like this,” he stated.
Sevilla are 13th in the table in the Spanish top flight after seven matches this campaign.
