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Kelechi Iheanacho Delighted with Brace as Celtic Reach Scottish Cup Final

Published

7 hours ago

11:52 am

Kelechi Iheanacho expressed his joy after playing a decisive role in Celtic F.C.’s dramatic Scottish Cup semi-final victory over St Mirren F.C..

The Nigerian forward came on with just seven minutes left in regulation time but made an instant and lasting impact during extra-time. Iheanacho scored twice to secure Celtic’s place in next month’s final against Dunfermline Athletic F.C..

His first goal came via a near-post header from a cross delivered by James Forrest. He then sealed the win with a brilliant left-footed strike from inside the box, capping off an outstanding cameo performance.

Speaking after the match, Iheanacho admitted he was overwhelmed with emotion.

“I can’t really describe how I feel at the moment. I’m really happy,” he said.

“Obviously, there was a little bit of panic in the second half when they got the goals.

“We were lucky enough to get to extra-time and we blew them away after that.”

He praised the team’s collective effort, particularly their intensity in extra-time.

“We’re really happy as a team, we really worked hard in extra-time to get the goals.

“In extra-time, we just had to get after them, press them and get the goals—that was the plan.”

Looking ahead, Celtic will refocus on their league campaign before returning to cup action in the final scheduled for Saturday, 23 May.

Iheanacho acknowledged the challenge ahead but remained confident.

“Cup finals are never easy, and I haven’t watched much of Dunfermline.

“But obviously we’ll give it our best to make sure we win the silverware.

“Collectively, as a team, we’ll really fight to win it.”

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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