Phone call that handed Harambee Stars forward best career moment against Celtic FC
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Reading Time: 4min | Mon. 15.12.25. | 21:07
Robinson reserved special praise for Ayunga, a player he has trusted across different clubs.
Harambee Stars striker Jonah Ayunga turned an unexpected chance into the greatest moment of his career as St Mirren thumped Celtic 3–1 to lift the Premier Sports Cup at Hampden Park on Sunday, 14 December, ending the Paisley club’s 12-year wait for a major trophy.
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Ayunga was not in the original plan to start the final. That changed on the morning of the game when St Mirren’s top scorer Mikael Mandron fell ill and informed the coaching staff he was unable to play.
The late setback handed Ayunga his opportunity, and the Kenya international made it count in spectacular fashion.
St Mirren struck first after just two minutes through Marcus Fraser before Reo Hatate equalised for Celtic in the 23rd minute. With the match finely balanced at half-time, Ayunga took control in the second half, scoring twice to swing the final decisively in St Mirren’s favour.
He left the pitch to a loud standing ovation with nine minutes remaining after a performance that defined the contest.
Speaking after the final whistle, Ayunga struggled to contain his emotions, describing the day as unmatched in his football journey.
“This is the greatest day of my career. It’s amazing,” Ayunga said. “We met the fans earlier this week, and this was all they spoke about. To get the chance to play in a final like this, let alone win it and score, I honestly couldn’t imagine it any better.”
The 28-year-old reflected on how long the moment had been in the making, having spent time in non-league football just five years ago.
“This is once in a lifetime,” he added. “I’ve been playing since I was 17, and this is the first time I’ve ever had the chance to win anything.
I’m nearly 30, so this means everything to me. The manager deserves huge credit for what he’s done at this club year after year. This is the icing on the cake.”
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson revealed that the decision to start Ayunga only came after Mandron’s honest admission about his condition.
“We got a phone call at around half past seven in the morning from Mika to say he’d been throwing up all night and was really struggling,” Robinson explained.
“That takes a real professional. It’s easy to try and battle through, but his honesty sums up this group.”
Robinson reserved special praise for Ayunga, a player he has trusted across different clubs.
“I’ve taken Jonah with me to a lot of places because he has so much talent,” he said. “He has absolutely everything.
When he plays like that, he’s unplayable. I thought he terrorised their three centre-halves with his pace, strength and quality. I’m absolutely delighted for him because he’s a lovely boy.”
The Northern Irishman also highlighted the scale of St Mirren’s achievement given their limited resources, praising everyone behind the scenes.
“In terms of coaching staff, playing staff and admin staff, we have the smallest group in the country,” Robinson said. “For the amount of work they put in, I’m delighted for them more than anyone. They are the ones who truly deserve the credit.”
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Overcome with emotion after full time, Robinson spoke about what the victory meant to his family after previous cup final heartbreaks.
“It’s hard to put into words,” he admitted. “I was looking for my family in the crowd. My boys are here from Belfast, my wife and my sister too. They hear all the criticism and read everything, and they take it more personally than I do. For them, this is a special day, and I’m so glad I could give them that.”
He also paid tribute to the St Mirren supporters for their unwavering belief throughout difficult periods.
“The fans have been unbelievable,” Robinson said. “Even when results were not going our way, there was never any criticism, just support. When you see the banners and the reaction, I feel absolutely humbled. I’m happy for the players to take all the attention because they earned it.”
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