Ayunga the Hero as St Mirren Stun Celtic to Lift Scottish League Cup

Harambee Stars forward Jonah Ayunga delivered a performance for the ages as St Mirren shocked Celtic 3–1 to win the 2025 Scottish League Cup on Sunday, December 14, at Hampden Park. The victory sealed the Paisley club’s first major trophy in 12 years and only the second League Cup triumph in their history, with Ayunga’s second-half brace writing his name firmly into St Mirren folklore.

The final could not have started better for the Buddies. Just 96 seconds into the match, Marcus Fraser stooped low to head home a Keanu Baccus corner, stunning the holders and setting the tone for a fearless St Mirren display. Celtic responded with urgency and fluid attacking play, with Kelechi Iheanacho, Daizen Maeda, and Reo Hatate all threatening as they searched for an equaliser.

Their pressure paid off in the 23rd minute, when Hatate slid in at the back post to volley home from a deep cross, restoring parity and igniting the Celtic support. However, Celtic’s momentum was disrupted when Iheanacho was forced off with a hamstring injury, leaving them without a focal point in attack.

As the match settled, St Mirren grew in confidence. Rather than retreating, Stephen Robinson’s side pressed intelligently, defended from the front, and consistently posed a threat on the counter. That approach was rewarded in the 64th minute, when Jonah Ayunga rose bravely to meet Alex Gogic’s delicate outside-of-the-boot cross, powering a header past Kaspar Schmeichel to restore St Mirren’s lead.

The goal shifted belief into certainty, and Ayunga was far from finished. Twelve minutes later, Declan John burst in behind the Celtic defence and squared the ball across the box, where Ayunga arrived to tap in his second, sealing the contest. Shirt off and arms wide, the Kenyan striker celebrated with the St Mirren faithful, fully aware the cup was theirs.

Ayunga’s double inflicted a third consecutive defeat on Celtic, who remain winless under new manager Wilfried Nancy, and capped a remarkable cup run for St Mirren. For Robinson, the triumph added to an already impressive tenure that has delivered three straight top-six league finishes, the club’s first European qualification in 36 years, and now a long-awaited major trophy.

Speaking after the match, a confident Ayunga revealed he never doubted the outcome.
“I didn’t see this going any other way,” he told SkySports. “Not for a second did I think we were going to lose. Everyone was in it together. This was my first cup final, and maybe my only one. Same for a lot of the boys. We had to grab it.”

From his journey into Scottish football via Morecambe to lifting silverware at Hampden Park, Ayunga’s rise reached a new peak on Sunday night. For Kenyan football, it was a moment of immense pride. For St Mirren, it was a triumph built on belief, bravery, and a striker who delivered when it mattered most.

Faith over fear was the rallying cry, and on the biggest stage, it was Jonah Ayunga who turned that belief into history.