La Liga

What Sevilla head coach said about Iheanacho and Ejuke after the Nigerian duo made their La Liga debut

Sevilla head coach, Garcia Pimienta, constructively criticized the Nigerian duo at the club, Chidera Ejuke and Kelechi Iheanacho, praising their brief display, but urging them to give more for the team, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Nigerian pair joined the record UEFA Europa League winners this summer for free and came off the bench in Sevilla’s loss to Villareal last night.

Arnaut Danjuma broked the deadlock for the Yellow Submarines two minutes into the game, before Dodi Lukebakio scored the equalizer for Sevilla just before half-time.

Ejuke and Iheanacho came off the bench with thirteen minutes to spare before Sevilla caved in the last minute, conceding a goal from Ayoze Perez.

Speaking after the game, Pimienta, praised Ejuke for his brief display and urged him to be more consistent with creating changes.

“Ejuke? We wanted to give him a bit of fresh air, and I think he’s done very well, creating dangerous one-on-one situations. He has unbalanced plays, and he can go outside and inside. He has to be much more consistent and finish the play, but he’s a player we consider, and we’ve seen that he’s done very well,” the 50-year-old gaffer said in quotes revealed by Futbol Fantasy.

Concerning Iheanacho, Pimienta revealed the former Leicester City man was not up to speed because he still struggled with fitness issues.

“Perhaps he was the one who had the most problems because he played for less time, but he moved very well in that difficult moment of the match, and he had a very clear chance to score, and the goalkeeper was able to stop that play. In the end, we have high-quality players, both those who started and those on the bench, and that’s what it’s all about. It’s difficult for me, that everyone is prepared and that they are capable of playing from the start or changing the match as was the case in the second half with the people who came on as substitutes,” the Spaniard added.

Sevilla have just one point from their opening two games and need to start winning games to move up the table.

Adefolahan Guerreiro

Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria. With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience. He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.

Share
Published by
Adefolahan Guerreiro

Recent Posts

Southampton coach Russell Martins issues Paul Onuachu update amid ACL injury fears

Southampton coach Russell Martin has allayed fears that Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu suffered a… Read More

4 hours ago

Augustine Eguavoen has my full support – Former Borussia Dortmund star

Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh has thrown his weight behind Augustine Eguavoen, who currently… Read More

12 hours ago

“He can’t do half of what Okocha did” – Former Nigeria International shades Iwobi, calls for gifted playmakers in Super Eagles squad

Former Super Eagles attacking midfielder, Etim Esin, has bemoaned the lack of creativity amongst the… Read More

12 hours ago

Onuachu impresses on full season debut, but Salah-inspired Liverpool down Southampton

Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu started his first game of the season for Southampton, but… Read More

13 hours ago

What happens if he gets injured? – Former Nigeria midfielder laments Super Eagles over-reliance on Victor Osimhen

Former Super Eagles attacking midfielder, Etim Esin, has revealed the Super Eagles must reduce their… Read More

14 hours ago

“Perhaps the best player in the league” – Former Galatasaray superstar praises Osimhen after Bodrumspor display

Former Turkey striker Umit Karan has praised Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen for his performance… Read More

17 hours ago