‘Hopefully there are many more goals to come’: Iheanacho delivers last-gasp winner on Celtic debut

Kelechi Iheanacho made an instant impact on his Celtic debut, scoring a dramatic stoppage-time penalty to seal a 2-1 victory over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Sunday.

The Nigerian international came off the bench in the 70th minute and held his nerve in the dying seconds of the match, blasting a powerful left-footed shot past goalkeeper Max Stryjek after a VAR review awarded Celtic a penalty for handball.

Earlier in the game, Daizen Maeda had given the Hoops the lead with a diving header, only for David Watson to equalize for Kilmarnock in the 83rd minute. But Iheanacho’s late strike ensured Brendan Rodgers’ side walked away with all three points and maintained their unbeaten start to the Scottish Premiership season.

Speaking to Celtic TV after the match, the 28-year-old forward expressed his joy at marking his debut with the winning goal.

‘I’m feeling really, really good. It was the last kick of the game and I got to take it, so I’m really happy. I could see how much it meant to the fans—it was a really important goal,’ he said.

Acknowledging the pressure of the moment, Iheanacho added, ‘There’s a lot of pressure with a spot-kick like that, but I took it with composure. We got the three points, which is massive, and hopefully there are many more goals to come.’