Iheanacho's 12-game scoring run for Bursaspor ends in 3-0 win
- Kelechi Iheanacho failed to score for Bursaspor on Saturday, ending a record run of goals in 12 straight Turkish league games.
- Bursaspor still beat Bandırmaspor 3-0, with Halil Akbunar and two from Lewis Baker sealing a fourth win in a row.
- The club ends the week top of the Turkish second tier, and Iheanacho stays in Super Eagles plans for next month's AFCON qualifiers.
Kelechi Iheanacho's remarkable run of scoring in every league game since he joined Bursaspor is over. The Super Eagles forward drew a blank on Saturday as his side beat Bandırmaspor 3-0 in the Turkish second tier, the TFF 1. Lig.
It was the first time this season the 30-year-old failed to find the net. He had scored in 12 consecutive league matches, a first in Turkish football, and ends the streak with 16 goals and three assists.
The goals against Bandırmaspor came from elsewhere. Halil Akbunar opened the scoring in the seventh minute at the Centennial Atatürk Stadium, and Lewis Baker added two more in the 12th and 23rd minutes.
Why the run matters
Iheanacho's form has been the story of Bursaspor's season. He joined as a free agent after leaving Celtic and has scored game after game, including a goal against Muğlaspor on October 15 that took him past a record shared by Galatasaray greats Metin Oktay and Saffet Sancaklı.
He then scored against Pendikspor on October 19 and Keçiörengücü on October 25 to reach 12. He came off with a minor knock in that match but was passed fit after two days of rest, according to Punch.
The win gives Bursaspor 31 points and a fourth straight league victory, leaving them top of the table at the end of the week.
For Nigerian fans, the bigger question is the Super Eagles. Iheanacho remains in the plans of coach Eric Chelle for next month's Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Tanzania, with the squad expected to be named soon.
Other Nigerian streaks
Iheanacho is not the only Nigerian forward to put together a long scoring run. Punch listed some of the others:
- Paul Onuachu scored in 10 straight matches for Trabzonspor in 2026, netting 12 goals, and finished the season as top scorer.
- Victor Osimhen scored in eight consecutive Serie A games for Napoli in 2022/23, then repeated the feat in eight European matches for Galatasaray in 2025. He has scored in his last three games, including both goals in the derby win over Fenerbahce.
- Taiwo Awoniyi scored in seven successive Premier League games for Nottingham Forest, the first Nigerian to do so.
- Odion Ighalo scored in six straight Premier League games for Watford in December 2015, a run that earned him the division's Player of the Month award.
- Simy (Simeon Nwankwo) scored in five consecutive Serie A games for Crotone in 2021, and Terem Moffi did the same in five Ligue 1 games for Lorient in his debut season.
Bursaspor will hope their top scorer is back among the goals when the league resumes. Iheanacho, meanwhile, will be keen to carry his club form into the national team.
