Celtic completed a domestic double on Saturday after defeating Dunfermline 3-1 at Hampden Park to win the Scottish Cup, with Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho coming off the bench to score a brilliant solo goal.
Martin O’Neill’s side, who sealed the Scottish Premiership title just seven days earlier in dramatic fashion, dominated the final and took control before half-time through goals from Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels.
Maeda opened the scoring in the 19th minute after latching onto Alistair Johnston’s ball and lifting it over stranded goalkeeper Aston Oxborough.
Celtic doubled their advantage in the 36th minute when Engels unleashed a powerful 25-yard strike that left Oxborough rooted to the spot.
Iheanacho then put the result beyond doubt in the 72nd minute. The Nigerian forward collected a through ball from Benjamin Nygren, showed excellent footwork to glide past three defenders, and calmly slotted home to make it 3-0.
Josh Cooper pulled one back for Dunfermline in the 79th minute after Charlie Gilmour’s shot was blocked, but it was only a consolation as Celtic comfortably saw out the game.
The victory gave Celtic their 43rd Scottish Cup title and sealed their 14th top-flight and Scottish Cup double. It was also their ninth consecutive win in all competitions, reflecting their strong finish to the season under interim manager O’Neill.
For O’Neill, 74, the triumph capped a remarkable return to the club. Now in his second spell as caretaker manager, he has won nine major honours with Celtic across 26 years. His future beyond this season remains uncertain.
Celtic had pipped Hearts to the Scottish Premiership title the previous weekend after coming from behind to win 3-1 on the final day, finishing two points clear after late goals from Maeda and Callum Osmand.
For Iheanacho, the Scottish Cup medal adds another honour to a trophy cabinet that already includes the English FA Cup, League Cup, Community Shield, Championship title and Scottish Premiership.
The former Leicester City forward has now scored three goals in seven appearances since returning to form in April, including a brace against St Mirren in the previous round that helped fire Celtic into the final.
His future at Celtic remains uncertain, with the 29-year-old signed on a one-year deal and set to become a free agent this summer. However, his impressive end-of-season form may give the club’s hierarchy reason to reconsider their options.
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