Kelechi Iheanacho elated to open Celtic account from penalty spot

Nigeria international Kelechi Iheanacho revealed his happiness after he scored his first goal for Celtic in a hard-fought 2-1 Scottish Premiership victory against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Sunday.

Iheanacho 2-1
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— Celtic Goals (@CelticGoals_) September 14, 2025

Iheanacho was handed his debut, replacing Daizen Maeda with only 20 minutes left on the clock, with the Hoops leading 1-0. However, 10 minutes later, Kilmarnock levelled the game from a corner-kick, with David Watson powering a header beyond Kasper Schmeichel.

Just when it looked like the game was heading for a draw, Celtic were awarded a penalty for handball following a VAR check. Iheanacho stepped up to take the spot-kick and fired it high in to the net with the last kick of the game, giving the Hoops a 2-1 win and maintaining their unbeaten start to the Premiership season.

‘I’m really happy’

“I’ll feeling really, really good,” said the 28-year-old Nigeria forward as quoted by Celtic website. “It’s the last kick of the game and I got to take it, so I’m really happy.

“I’m happy for the opportunity and I could see how the fans feel after that goal. It was a really important goal so I’m happy. It’s a great feeling but, at the same time, there’s a lot of pressure as well with the spot-kick.

“But I just took it with composure and we win the three points today which is massive, and hopefully there are many more to come.”

Iheanacho will hope to get a starting role when they face Partick Thistle F.C. in a Scottish League Cup quarterfinal clash on Sunday.

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