Super Eagles striker Kelechi Iheanacho opened up on Celtic’s killer extra-time plan after their thrilling 6-2 victory over St. Mirren in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup, Footynaija.com reports.
Iheanacho played a starring role for Celtic on Sunday as Martin O’Neil’s men turned on the style in extra-time to produce a stunning four-goal display, after initially letting a two-goal lead slip away from their grasp during the normal 90 minutes duration.
Introduced as a substitute late in the second half of normal time, the Nigeria international helped Celtic retake the lead six minutes into extra-time before grabbing his second and the Hoops’ fifth goal of the match just five minutes later.
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The likes of Luke McCowan and Benjamin Nygren also got in on the act, each striking either side of Iheanacho’s second goal as Celtic romped to a dominant win and booked their place in the final.
Speaking after the match, Iheanacho, who was delighted after yet another impactful substitute appearance, explained how Celtic’s extra-time intensity plan ensured they dispatched their resilient opposition.
“I can’t really describe how I feel at the moment,” Iheanacho told Celtic TV . “I’m really happy.
“Obviously, there was a little bit of panic in the second half when they got the goals. We were lucky enough to get to extra-time and we blew them away after that.’
“We’re really happy as a team, we really worked hard in extra-time to get the goals. In extra-time, we just had to get after them, press them and get the goals, that was the plan.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming final against Dunfermline Athletic, the Nigerian forward added; “Cup finals are never easy, and I haven’t watched much of Dunfermline. But obviously we’ll give it our best to make sure we win the silverware. Collectively, as a team, we’ll really fight to win it.”
Iheanacho’s double brought his tally for the season up to six and he’ll now be seeking an increased level of involvement as Celtic return to their battle for a fifth consecutive Scottish Premiership triumph.
