Bayer Leverkusen forward Victor Boniface has revealed that his decision to mimic Mohammed Kudus’ celebration after scoring against West Ham United in the UEFA Europa League was spontaneous.
Clarifying his choice of celebration, he mentioned that it was influenced by the ongoing banter between Ghana and Nigeria.
“To be honest, I have seen so many comments about it…It was something that just came up; it wasn’t planned,” he told Oma Sports TV.
Ghana and Nigeria share a friendly rivalry extending beyond sports to various parts of life; hence, Boniface labelled the celebration ‘normal’.
“We (Nigerians and Ghanaians) are brothers, but we cook each other. It’s a normal thing,” he said.
Victor Boniface secured a 2-0 victory for Leverkusen in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final clash with a stoppage-time goal.
After the ball found the back of the net, he sprinted towards the advertising board, where he sat, joined by his teammates in celebration. Meanwhile, Mohammed Kudus observed from the bench after being substituted.
Kudus’ trademark celebration, known as the ‘take a seat’ gesture, has gained widespread attention and has been imitated by numerous players.
In the upcoming second leg at the London Stadium on Thursday, April 18, 2024, Kudus will aim to retaliate against Boniface.