2016 has been a hell of a year for Kelechi Iheanacho, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
The young striker made a name for himself last season under Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City, quickly becoming regular feature off the bench or alongside Agüero, and the now 20-year-old finished the season with 14 goals in 37 appearances.
Now playing under Pep Guardiola, Iheanacho has carried on his form, bagging three goals and assisting three times in his first nine appearances, including an important tap-in against Manchester United.
The youngster has also started to become a guaranteed starter for his country since getting his first cap last November, and has scored in each of his last four appearances for his country, most recently in a 2-1 win over Zambia.
All of this means that his nomination on the 30-man shortlist for the African Player of the Year award, handed to, well, the best African player by the Confederation of African Football, is fully deserved.
Of course, going up against the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Riyad Mahrez means there’s little chance the youngster will actually win the award, but it’s a sign that he’s definitely on the right track.
