Super Eagles striker Iheanacho comes off the bench to score injury-time winner on Celtic debut

Kelechi Iheanacho made an immediate impact on his Celtic debut, scoring a stoppage-time penalty to secure a 2-1 victory over Kilmarnock in a Scottish Premiership match at Rugby Park.

The Super Eagles striker, signed after leaving Sevilla in the final days of the transfer window, came on as a second-half substitute and delivered the decisive moment in added time. 

With the match locked at 1-1, Celtic were awarded a penalty following a VAR review for handball inside the box.

Iheanacho stepped up in the 96th minute, driving his effort beyond goalkeeper Max Stryjek to seal all three points.

Celtic had earlier broken the deadlock through Daizen Maeda, who headed in from Marcelo Saracchi’s cross shortly after the interval. 

The visitors dominated large spells of the game but were punished late on when David Watson rose highest to convert a Greg Kiltie corner in the 83rd minute, setting up a tense finale.

Kilmarnock looked to push for a shock winner, but Celtic regained control and pressed forward in stoppage time. 

The breakthrough arrived when pressure inside the box led to the handball incident, allowing Iheanacho the chance to mark his debut in memorable fashion.

The win extended Celtic’s unbeaten start to the season and underlined the value of their late transfer business.

Iheanacho, who had faced questions about his fitness and sharpness, showed composure under pressure to deliver the winning goal and provide an early indication of his potential influence in Glasgow.

Wale Adejumo

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