Kelechi Iheanacho will begin the race to dethrone Ivory Coast and Chelsea legend Didier Drogba as the top scoring African in the FA Cup when his Leicester City host Manchester United in a quarter final tie at the King Power stadium on Sunday.
Drogba scored 12 goals in 29 FA Cup games across nine seasons for Chelsea, one more than his compatriot, Francois Zoko who achieved his 11 goals in 27 games across nine seasons for four different clubs and Iheanacho whose winner against Brighton last month took his total tally to 11 in 17 appearances and across six seasons for just two clubs.
A goal for the Nigerian today in his first ever FA Cup game against the Red Devils will take his tally to 12,same as Drogba while a brace like he has done thrice in the competition will make him the top scoring African in the FA Cup.
If he scores, it will be his second in seven appearances in all competitions against the visitors with his only strike and assist coming in September 2016 when he provided Kevin De Bryune as assist in the 15th minute before tapping in the second goal of the evening 21 minutes later as Manchester City defeated their bitter city rivals 2-1 in a Premier League game at Old Trafford.
Since the Nigerian switched the Etihad stadium for the King Power stadium,he has featured four times against Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s side and lost all.
The 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner leads the Nigerian top scorers chart with the 11 goals he has scored,two more than Yakubu Aiyegbeni in second and three more than Nwankwo Kanu who needed 12 seasons and 28 games to achieve his eight goals.
With both players retired, former Nigeria captain Mikel Obi is next to Iheanacho among Super Eagles players still active in the competition with his three goals in 34 appearances while Wilfred Ndidi who is looking for his first win against the Red Devils in nine appearances third with two goals in 11 FA Cup games.
Iheanacho has scored 30 goals and provided 16 assists for the Foxes since he joined in August 2017.