By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Kelechi Iheanacho announced himself on the European stage for Celtic with a vital second-half equaliser that salvaged a point in their Europa League clash against Red Star Belgrade on Thursday night.
Making his debut in the competition for the Scottish champions, the Nigerian forward was introduced at half-time by manager Brendan Rodgers, replacing the ineffective Daizen Maeda. The change paid off almost immediately.
Just ten minutes later, Iheanacho combined smartly with fellow summer signing Benjamin Nygren, who split the Red Star defence with a precise pass.
Although the striker spurned his first chance from close range, he kept his composure to bury the rebound past goalkeeper Matheus, drawing Celtic level.
The goal underlined the trust Rodgers has in the former Manchester City and Leicester City star, whose sharpness and movement added a new dimension to Celtic’s attack in Belgrade.
Celtic will now return to domestic duty with a Scottish Premiership meeting against Hibernian on Saturday, before shifting focus to next week’s Europa League tie against Braga at Celtic Park, where Iheanacho is expected to push for a starting role.
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.
