Kelechi Iheanacho added another piece of silverware to his collection as Celtic defeated Dunfermline Athletic 3-1 in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park on Saturday.
The triumph came just a week after the Hoops secured the Scottish Premiership title with a 3-1 victory over Hearts at Celtic Park.
Kelechi Iheanacho’s Impactful Season Despite Injury Setbacks
Although Iheanacho was named among the substitutes for the cup final, the Nigerian forward played a significant role after coming in the second half to score the third goal.
The Super Eagles star notably scored twice in the club’s emphatic 6-2 semi-final win over St. Mirren, helping propel the team into the final.
The 29-year-old endured a challenging campaign due to recurring hamstring injuries, but still managed to score nine goals in 24 appearances across all competitions.
His contributions proved decisive, earning Celtic valuable points through match-winning displays against Kilmarnock on his debut, Dundee, Hibernian and Motherwell.
Iheanacho’s impressive performances have also seen him become the highest-scoring Nigerian player in Celtic’s history.
The former Leicester City striker joined the Scottish champions as a free agent last summer on a one-year contract, with the club retaining the option to extend his stay for an additional year.
Celtic Prove Their Dominance Once Again
Heading into the final, Celtic were widely tipped to lift the trophy due to their outstanding recent form, and they lived up to expectations.
The Bhoys entered the contest on an eight-match winning streak, while Dunfermline Athletic had struggled in the closing stages of their campaign, winning just one of their previous five games.
Despite their inconsistent form, Dunfermline’s route to the final was impressive, with victories over Queen of the South, Hibernian, Kelty Hearts, Aberdeen and Falkirk.
However, they were unable to stop a rampant Celtic side determined to make amends for last season’s Scottish Cup final defeat to Aberdeen on penalties after a 1-1 draw following extra time.
The victory secured Celtic’s record-extending 43rd Scottish Cup title, further sealing their status as the most successful club in the competition’s history.
Celtic took control early as Daizen Maeda broke the deadlock in the 19th minute before Arne Engels doubled their lead shortly before halftime.
The Bhoys continued to dominate after the interval, and substitute Kelechi Iheanacho effectively sealed the win with a clinical third goal in the 73rd minute.
Introduced in the 58th minute in place of James Forrest, the Nigerian forward wasted little time making his presence felt.
Just 15 minutes after coming on, he latched onto a perfectly weighted pass from Benjamin Nygren, skipped past two Dunfermline defenders, rounded the goalkeeper, and calmly finished into an empty net.
Josh Cooper pulled one back for Dunfermline in the 80th minute, but it proved nothing more than a consolation as Celtic cruised to another convincing victory.