KELECHI IHEANACHO rolled back the years as he propelled Celtic into an intriguing Scottish Cup Final meeting with Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline at Hampden on Saturday May 23.
The Nigerian international striker, who cost £25million when Leicester City bought him from Manchester City in August 2017, displayed his penalty box prowess with two excellent goals as the Hoops flattened stubborn St Mirren in extra-time yesterday.
First-half goals from Daizen Maeda and Anthony Ralston were nullified with a second-half double from Mikael Mandron to push the game into an extra half-hour.
And Iheanacho, an 83rd minute substitute for Yang Hyun-jun, was first to respond by snapping in a header from an astute cross from James Forrest to propel the Hoops into the lead.
HEARTFELT…Kelechi Iheanacho’s message on social media.
Luke McCowan rolled in No.4 TWENTY-FOUR seconds later and it was all over in a breathtaking first period of extra-time when Iheanacho clipped in the fifth and Benjamin Nygren, with his 20th strike of a prolific season, stabbed in the sixth.
Twenty-nine-year-old Iheanacho, who joined the champions after being released by Sevilla in September, later took to X to say: “Thank you, Celtic fans. We will do our absolute best. There will be light at the end. Stay with us.”
Immediately after a rollercoaster occasion, the frontman, speaking to Premier Sports, said: “It feels amazing. I can’t even express how I feel now.
“Obviously, it was 2-2 at the end of the game and we went to extra-time and we blew them away. So it feels really good to be in the Final.”
UP FOR THE CUP…Kelechi Iheanacho celebrates at Hampden.
Iheanacho, who now has six games to persuade Celtic to take up the one year option on his contract, added: “I’m really happy as well as the team.
“I don’t know how it feels for the fans, but, for me, it would mean a whole lot for me because it’s been a while I haven’t won a silverware.”
“So, I’ll be so delighted to win silverware this season. Hopefully, together as a team, we can achieve that.”
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