When next Efe Ambrose boasts, people will definitely take him serious. Ahead of the European Champions League duel between his club Celtic of Scotland and runaway favourite Barcelona, Ambrose had boasted that they would stun the Spanish giants and that he would checkmate the mercurial Lionel Messi, the world’s best footballer.

Responding to a question on the possibility of Messi, who became a father last Friday, celebrating the baby’s arrival with goals against Celtic, Ambrose had said: “It’s a great thing to become a father but I believe we are going to ruin his party here in Glasgow.”

Last night things turned out just as Ambrose had said they would. Celtic, who narrowly lost 1 – 2 at Camp Nou in the first leg two weeks ago, turned the tables last night at Parkhead, Glasgow. Playing the game of their lives in front of 60,000 ecstatic fans, Celtic claimed perhaps their most famous victory in their 125 years history, winning 2-1.

Defence strongman Ambrose (see photo) did not only keep Messi in check but also initiated the move that resulted in a corner kick that birthed the first goal after wonder kid Victor Wanayma headed home Charlie Mulgrew’s corner kick in the 20^th minute. Celtic made it two in the 83rd minute after Tony Watt found the net with a low drive. Messi finally found his lethal boots on the dot of the 90 minutes off a rebound during a goalmouth scramble.

The victory reduced the gap between Barca, who have nine points from four matches, to only two points and raised Celtic’s hopes of qualification for the knockout stages.