Super Eagles striker Kelechi Iheanacho was the unlikely hero for Celtic yesterday evening as they sealed a 2-1 win over Dundee United at Dens Park, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 29-year-old scored an 82nd-minute winner to move the Hoops to within three points of Hearts on the SPFL table, and the club's coach, Martin O'Neill, was delighted with the Nigerian's performance.
The ex-Manchester City midfielder has chosen to manage Iheanacho's minutes meticulously after the Super Eagles forward suffered recurring hamstring injuries in the first half of the season.
Celtic boss lauds Kelechi Iheanacho
The former Manchester City striker was delighted to have gotten on the scoresheet for the first time since the start of October.
Having played just 55 minutes since the start of March, Coach Martin O'Neill was pleased Iheanacho had the composure to put the ball in the back of the net.
“Iheanacho came on and scored the goal which wins the game for us. Naturally, we’re delighted and we’re still in the picture,” the 74-year-old said in quotes from Celtic's official website.
“I know he’s had a frustrating time, but he’s been a really fine player in his career and he can find the net.
“We played last and that is difficult. 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’s no room for error at all, and if we had dropped points today that would have been very difficult to fight back.”
“I thought we should have been out of sight by half-time but we weren’t.
“We missed some glorious chances – really clear-cut chances – to go and get a second goal but it didn’t happen and you always fear the worst.
“At half-time I said to the team that this was far from over. Dundee would come into the game and were playing with the wind in the second-half.
“They got the penalty and that obviously gave them great confidence to continue on but we kept battling at it and battling it was at the end of it all,” O'Neill concluded.
Message for Eric Chelle
Victor Osimhen is Nigeria's undisputed starter when fit, but a forearm fracture saw him miss the March International break friendlies against Iran and Jordan.
Akor Adams and Paul Onuachu were the strikers who featured in place of the Galatasaray man, but O'Neill's words could catapult Iheanacho back into the fold, with friendlies against Portugal and Poland on the cards just before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off.
While he came on to play as a striker last season, Iheanacho's role whenever he plays for the Super Eagles has been less inclined. The former Leicester City man has either been forced wide, or played in a supporting role behind a number nine.
Ultimately, the one-time FA Cup winner needs to accrue more minutes and score more goals if he'll be returning to the Super Eagles squad for the first time since the 2025 Unity Cup tournament.
