Mohammed Kudus reveals meaning behind unique celebration
12/23/2024 08:00 AM
Ghanaian star Mohammed Kudus has revealed the significance behind the unique goal celebration he exhibited this past weekend.
Kudus scored in the 58th minute of West Ham United's 1-1 home draw with Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday – cancelling out Mats Wieffer's opener seven minutes earlier for the Seagulls at the London Stadium.
The Black Stars attacker then celebrated the goal by sitting on a wooden stool carved in the shape of an elephant, a nod to his Ghanaian culture.
"Where I come from, the chiefs and the kings, they sit on stools," said Kudus. "I thought it would be nice to share a little bit of life where I am from."
It was just a third goal of the season for the 24-year-old, who netted 14 times across all competitions for the Hammers last term.
Kudus may be struggling to match the heights of his first season in claret and blue, but manager Julen Lopetegui still views him as a key player and was happy with his all-round contribution against Brighton.
"I'm not only happy with his goal, I'm happy with his commitment," said Lopetegui. "He’s improving a lot in his defensive commitment.
"The only way to achieve the level that he can achieve, and we talked a lot with him about this, is to be focused on the hard work for the team. To become a big and strong winger you have to do this – and he's trying."
Kudus and West Ham will look to build further momentum when they face strugglers Southampton away from home on Thursday 26 December.
