Mr FA Cup Iheanacho sends unconvincing Leicester City to Fourth Round

Leicester City fringe striker Kelechi Iheanacho delivered a timely reminder of his worth as he scored the lone goal for the Foxes in their 1-0 win over Gillingham in their FA Cup Third Round clash. The Nigerian forward extended his record as the African player with most goals in the competition.

Facing a number of challenges including injuries to key players and poor form this season, Leicester City had a chance to progress in the FA Cup, a competition they won in 2021. They were up against a Gillingham side languishing in 24th place in League Two, the third-tier of the English football pyramid.

The Foxes struggled against their lower league opponents as they looked to break down their organised defense in front of a charged home crowd.

The breakthrough eventually came close to the hour mark as Iheanacho showed great instincts to react quickly and fire home from inside the box after a blocked shot from Kasey McAteer fell into his path in the 56th minute. It was the 26-year-old forward’s 16th FA Cup goal in 22 appearances in the competition, making him the highest scoring active player in the competition.

The Foxes held on for the win, with Nigerian midfielder Wilfred Ndidi making a late appearance off the bench in the final ten minutes, to reach the Fourth Round of the competition.