Martin O’Neill says Kelechi Iheanacho showed exactly why Celtic brought him in, ending a long personal scoring drought with a goal that kept the Bhoys alive in the Scottish Premiership title race.
Kelechi Iheanacho walked off Dens Park on April 5 with the match ball in his hands and a Celtic win secured. His goal gave the Glasgow side a 2-1 victory over Dundee, and it moved Celtic back into touching distance at the top of the Scottish Premiership table. Celtic manager Martin O’Neill had nothing but praise for the Nigeria international after the game.
“Iheanacho came on and scored the goal which wins the game for us,” O’Neill told Celtic’s official website. “We’re delighted and we’re still in the picture.” The win meant Celtic, who played their fixture last, avoided a costly slip that would have effectively handed the title to their rivals.
The goal was Iheanacho’s fourth of the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership season. What makes it stand out even more is that it was his first since early October, a wait of almost six months. For a striker, that kind of drought tests patience, fitness, and confidence in equal measure. O’Neill acknowledged as much. “I know he’s had a frustrating time,” the manager said, “but he’s been a really fine player in his career and he can find the net.”
Why This Goal Matters Beyond the Three Points
Iheanacho has always been a player whose career is measured in peaks and troughs. At Manchester City, he won the League Cup. At Leicester, he scored the winner in the FA Cup final. Those moments define him as someone who can produce when it counts most. Sunday’s winner at Dundee fits that same mould.
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The pressure on Celtic heading into Sunday’s game was enormous. Their title rivals had already played, and every Hoops fan knew what the result had to be. O’Neill addressed that directly after the final whistle. “We played last and that is difficult,” he said. “You’re trying not to think about what has happened either the previous day or a few hours earlier, but for us today we just had to win.” There was no room for error, and Iheanacho made sure there was none.
O’Neill’s Confidence in the Nigerian Forward
What is striking about O’Neill’s post-match comments is not just the praise but the tone. He didn’t speak about Iheanacho as a squad rotation piece or a impact substitute. He spoke about him as a “really fine player” who has what it takes. That kind of public backing from a manager carries weight, especially after months on the fringes.
Iheanacho, for his part, will know that one goal doesn’t fully end the conversation about his form. But it starts a new one. At 29, this is a player who still has top-flight pedigree, and at Celtic, that could matter enormously between now and the end of the season. The title race is far from over, and Celtic will need Iheanacho to keep finding the net. Fans keen on staking during the remaining fixtures can check the Bet9ja’s current promo code for an enhanced opening bonus ahead of the next round.
Iheanacho’s story at Celtic is still being written. But Sunday’s chapter, brief as it was, is one Nigerian football fans will want to remember. He came on, he scored, and he kept Celtic’s season alive. That’s not nothing. That’s actually everything. New Bet9ja users backing Celtic’s run-in can get started with the Bet9ja’s YOHAIG code before the next fixture.
📌 Did You Know?
- Kelechi Iheanacho scored the winning goal for Leicester City in the 2021 FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley, making him one of only a handful of Nigerians to score in an FA Cup final.
- Iheanacho is originally from Imo State in southeastern Nigeria, the same state that has produced several Nigerian football internationals over the decades.
- Before joining Celtic, Iheanacho had stints at Manchester City, Leicester City, Sevilla, and clubs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia, giving him top-flight experience across five different countries.
- Martin O’Neill previously managed Celtic between 2000 and 2005, winning three Scottish Premier League titles and reaching the UEFA Cup final in 2003, making this a return to familiar territory for the veteran boss.
- Iheanacho made his senior Super Eagles debut in 2015 under Sunday Oliseh, going on to become one of Nigeria’s more versatile attacking options at international level.
- Dens Park, where Sunday’s match was played, is one of the oldest football grounds in the world still in professional use, having hosted its first match in the 1890s.
- Celtic’s Scottish Premiership title race in 2025/26 has been one of the tightest in recent memory, with the Bhoys refusing to concede ground despite their rivals maintaining strong form throughout the campaign.
