Fox in the box resurrection – Kelechi Iheanacho named Player of the Week after late heroics

There is a particular breed of footballer that Nigerian fans have always loved. It is not the flashy winger who dances past defenders or the industrious midfielder who covers every blade of grass. 

It is the fox in the box, the player with a supernatural ability to be in exactly the right place at the right moment.

Kelechi Iheanacho has always been that player. On Sunday at Dundee’s Dens Park, he reminded the Scottish Premiership that some gifts do not expire. 

The Celtic substitute entered a deadlocked game with the clock approaching the final ten minutes and a title race hanging in the balance. 

In the 82nd minute, he found the space and the net. Iheanacho walked off the pitch with the match winner and the Pulse Sports Nigeria Baller of the Week award.

Context transforms this goal from a simple statistic into a resurrection. Iheanacho’s last goal contribution before Sunday came in October 2025. 

Six months of substitute appearances and near misses had created a heavy weight for the forward. For a finisher of his pedigree, such a drought leads to inevitable questions about his future at Parkhead.

Sunday provided the answer. One touch and one clinical finish reminded the Super Eagles faithful of the "Seniorman" they know. 

He has a habit of arriving exactly when the story demands a hero. He did it for Leicester City and Nigeria, and he has now done it for Celtic at the most critical juncture of the season.

This was a formidable week for Nigerians abroad. Paul Onuachu scored in his eleventh consecutive Super Lig game for Trabzonspor during a heated derby win over Galatasaray. 

Typically, such a historic scoring streak would guarantee this award. However, consistency lost out to the pure drama of Iheanacho’s return.

Samuel Kalu also impressed with a brace for Botev Plovdiv in Bulgaria, while Asisat Oshoala maintained her elite form with five goal contributions in five games. 

While their numbers were compelling, football is defined by moments. Iheanacho’s instinctual strike to break a half-year drought in an 82nd-minute title scrap was the undisputed moment of the week. 

Celtic’s title charge now has a renewed weapon in the fox in the box. Some players are just built differently. The Seniorman is one of them.