A brace in Celtic’s 6-2 Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Mirren has renewed calls for Kelechi Iheanacho’s Super Eagles return, with former Super Eagles star Mutiu Adepoju insisting the 29-year-old’s experience and resurgent form make the case for a recall under Eric Chelle.
Former Super Eagles midfielder Mutiu Adepoju has backed Kelechi Iheanacho for a return to the Nigeria national team after the striker delivered a brace in Celtic’s commanding 6-2 Scottish FA Cup semi-final win over St Mirren on Sunday. The result sent Celtic through to the Scottish Cup final and provided Iheanacho with his most emphatic individual performance since joining the club from Sevilla last summer.
“Kelechi has always been a very good player and a good scorer who has done very well over the years,” Adepoju said in quotes shared with Footy-Africa.com. “Unfortunately, these past few years he has not been finding it easy and all that. I’m happy that he is coming back and he is doing very well in Celtic. I just believe he will be able to sustain that and continue.” The 29-year-old has now scored six times from 18 appearances across all competitions for the Scottish champions this season, despite battling injury at various points during the campaign. Super Eagles fans who want to back Nigeria’s upcoming fixtures can use the Bet9ja’s YOHAIG code ahead of the Unity Cup in May.
Adepoju’s Case: Experience Counts
Adepoju was specific about what makes Iheanacho’s case compelling beyond his current goal tally. For the former midfielder, the 58 caps Iheanacho has already accumulated represent a depth of international experience that cannot be replicated by simply bringing in a younger alternative. “Experience matters, and if he is doing very well and I believe if the handlers of the national team see and find him worthy, then he can still come back. I believe he has that ability to come back to the team,” Adepoju said.
Adepoju also directly challenged those who dismiss Iheanacho’s performances on the grounds that the Scottish Premiership is a lesser league. “Comparing La Liga and the Scottish Premiership, they are two different countries, two different leagues. Yes, La Liga is popular and strong, but I believe it’s not that easy playing in the Scottish league as well. There are other good teams in the league; I believe they are strong too,” he said. The argument is relevant given that Iheanacho’s previous club Sevilla, where he played in La Liga, was the arena in which his form collapsed sufficiently to see him dropped from Eric Chelle’s squads. Celtic, by contrast, has produced the kind of environment where his confidence has visibly returned. Fans wanting to stake on Celtic’s remaining games and the Scottish Cup final can find the Bet9ja promo code today for new accounts.
What the Super Eagles Calendar Offers Iheanacho
The Super Eagles have a full fixture schedule ahead despite missing the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nigeria will defend their Unity Cup title in London in May, then face Poland and Portugal in high-profile friendly matches in June, and the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers are scheduled to begin later in 2026. Each of these represents an opportunity for Iheanacho to prove his value to Chelle, and Adepoju’s reading of the situation is that Chelle will be watching his club form closely.
Iheanacho’s last Super Eagles appearance came at the 2025 Unity Cup. He had been named in the 54-man provisional list for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco before being cut from the final squad as Nigeria went on to their record-ninth AFCON bronze medal. A Scottish Cup final appearance and continued form in the Premiership run-in would give him the most compelling possible argument heading into the summer window. FootballInNigeria.com.ng will follow his progress through to the final. New Bet9ja users can use Nigeria’s top Bet9ja code to register before the next Super Eagles fixtures.
📌 Did You Know?
- Mutiu Adepoju played for Real Madrid’s reserve side, Real Madrid Castilla, during his professional career before becoming a key Super Eagles midfielder, and he is one of the most celebrated players from the golden generation of Nigerian football in the 1990s and early 2000s.
- Kelechi Iheanacho is a former FIFA U-17 World Cup winner, having been part of Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets squad that won the 2013 tournament in UAE, a victory that also included current Super Eagles stars like Kelechi himself and others from that generation.
- Celtic’s 6-2 win over St Mirren that featured Iheanacho’s brace was a Scottish FA Cup semi-final result, meaning the Scottish champions have now secured a place in the season’s domestic showpiece final, where Iheanacho could add silverware to his return to form.
- Iheanacho’s difficult spell at Sevilla, which cost him his Super Eagles place, coincided with a wider crisis at the Spanish club, who struggled with form and finances throughout the same period, suggesting his decline was partly circumstantial rather than purely personal.
- The 2025 Unity Cup, where Iheanacho last represented Nigeria, was held in London and featured Nigeria against other national teams in a tournament designed to maintain competitive match practice for teams outside major qualification campaigns.
- Nigeria’s 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign will be particularly significant given the back-to-back World Cup failures, with the Super Eagles needing to deliver continental results to maintain the federation’s standing in the face of growing public pressure for reform.
- Celtic have won the Scottish Premiership in nine consecutive seasons across 2012-2020, the most successful domestic run in the history of Scottish club football, and their continued dominance creates an environment where ambitious players like Iheanacho can play regularly in a winning team.
