‘You must be always careful’- Southampton Boss Ralph Hasenhüttl On Kelechi Iheanacho

The Austrian football manager revealed how his team could stop the in-form striker, and they did just that on Friday night

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhüttl has said that the only way to stop Kelechi Iheanacho is not to give him a chance around the box.

Hasenhüttl was speaking ahead of Southampton’s 1-1 draw against Leicester City last night. Before the two sides met on Friday night, Iheanacho had scored 14 goals in his last 14 games for Leicester, including the winner against Southampton in the FA Cup semifinal.

However, in their Premier League clash at the St. Mary’s, Iheanacho was well marshalled by the Southampton defence as both sides played out a 1-1 draw.

Iheanacho’s inability to add to his ten league goals could be down to Hasenhüttl, who had praised his quality ahead of the game but revealed how to stop him.

“He [Iheanacho] did a good job in the last game, he has one chance and his chance was a goal so the rest of the game I didn’t see him to be honest, the Austrian manager said in his pre-match press conference per Leicestermercury. 

“You must be always careful, don’t give him the chance in and around the box, he has a very good finish, self-confident at the moment,” he added.

But despite Southampton’s good performance against the Nigerian, Iheanacho still played a vital role in the game as he provided the assist for Jonny Evans equaliser for Leicester.

The Nigerian international is now the most in-form player in the Premier League this season, with nine-goal involvements in his last six league games.