Kelechi Iheanacho came off the bench to score twice in extra time at Hampden Park on Sunday, rescuing Celtic from a two-goal capitulation and sending the Scottish champions into the FA Cup final against Dundee on May 23.
This is what Kelechi Iheanacho does. When Celtic needed someone to win a Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park, the Super Eagles striker who had spent much of the season frustrated on the bench came on in the 83rd minute and produced two goals in extra time to settle a match that had been unravelling badly for Martin O’Neill’s side. Celtic won 6-2 against St. Mirren, but for most of the second half it looked like a very different story was being written. New Bet9ja users who want to back Celtic’s cup final appearance on May 23 can start by visiting the Bet9ja’s YOHAIG code page and registering with the current welcome offer.
The 29-year-old has made no secret of his frustration at not starting regularly for the record Scottish champions this season. O’Neill has been cautious with him given a run of hamstring injuries, managing his minutes carefully rather than risking another setback in the run-in. On Sunday, that caution produced a perfectly timed impact. When Iheanacho arrived on the pitch, Celtic were level at 2-2 and on the ropes. When he departed, they had six goals and a cup final place in their pocket.
How Celtic Nearly Let It Slip
The match had looked entirely under Celtic’s control through the first half. Daizen Maeda opened the scoring inside the first minute, capitalising on a catastrophic error from St. Mirren goalkeeper Ryan Mullen, who received a backpass and played it straight into the pressing Japanese winger. Mullen was substituted off in the 15th minute, but the damage was already done. Anthony Ralston doubled the lead right on half-time, finishing emphatically after a brilliant backheel assist from Hyung-Jun Yang set him free.
Then came the second-half collapse. Mikael Mandron scored twice for St. Mirren to level at 2-2, and suddenly the semi-final had a completely different complexion. The Hoops, who had coasted in the first half, were now clinging on with the prospect of a penalty shootout looming. For Super Eagles fans tracking Iheanacho’s form ahead of possible Unity Cup call-ups, regular match updates on Nigerian players abroad are published on FootballInNigeria.com.ng’s Bet9ja promotion code page, where you can also find the latest welcome bonus code.
Iheanacho Settles It in Extra Time
The Nigerian striker replaced Yang in the 83rd minute with the scores level. He needed thirteen minutes to make his mark. In the 96th minute, James Forrest swung a cross into the penalty area and Iheanacho rose to head home, restoring Celtic’s lead and shifting the momentum entirely back to the Hoops. The goal changed everything. Luke McCowan added a fourth two minutes later. Then Iheanacho was at it again in the 101st minute, calmly slotting home to put the tie beyond any doubt and confirm Celtic’s place in the final.
Benjamin Nygren completed the scoring with a sixth goal shortly after, with Maeda doing the spadework by driving into the box and squaring for the finish. The final scoreline of 6-2 felt emphatic, but it did not reflect how tight the contest had been for a long stretch of the second half. Iheanacho’s contribution was the turning point, and there are very few Scottish Cup semi-final performances by a Super Eagles player in recent memory that can match it. Fans who back Scottish football on Bet9ja can get the full run-down on the Bet9ja bonus code page before placing their next wager.
The Cup Final Awaits
Celtic will face Dundee in the Scottish FA Cup final on May 23. A trophy at the end of the season would cap a campaign that has seen Celtic retain their Scottish Premiership title and reach the knockout stages of European competition. For Iheanacho personally, a final appearance and potential winner’s medal at Hampden would be a fitting addition to a career that already includes a Premier League title with Manchester City in 2021.
The question now is whether Sunday’s performance earns him a starting place for the final. O’Neill has been methodical about managing his workload, but Iheanacho just made the strongest possible case with the ball in his hand at the most important moment. That is a case that is very hard to ignore.
📌 Did You Know?
- Kelechi Iheanacho won the Premier League title with Manchester City in the 2020/21 season under Pep Guardiola, becoming one of a small group of Nigerian players to win England’s top-flight championship.
- Hampden Park in Glasgow, where Sunday’s semi-final was played, is the national stadium of Scotland and one of the largest football stadiums in the United Kingdom, with a capacity of over 51,000.
- Celtic’s opponents in the Scottish Cup final, Dundee, are not the same club as Dundee United. Dundee FC and Dundee United are two separate clubs who share the same city in eastern Scotland, making Dundee one of the few cities in world football to host two senior professional clubs in such close proximity.
- Daizen Maeda, who scored Celtic’s opening goal inside the first minute, is a Japanese international forward who joined Celtic from Gamba Osaka. He has become a key figure in the team’s pressing system under Martin O’Neill.
- Iheanacho began his professional career at Manchester City’s academy after being scouted in Nigeria, making him part of a generation of Nigerian talent that was identified and developed partly through City’s global scouting network.
- The Scottish FA Cup is the oldest national cup competition in the world, first played in 1873/74, predating even the FA Cup in England, though the English FA Cup was established as a competition in 1871.
- Martin O’Neill, Celtic’s head coach, previously managed the club in an earlier spell between 2000 and 2005, during which Celtic won three league titles and reached the UEFA Cup final in 2003, losing to Porto under Jose Mourinho.
