Arsenal great Thierry Henry has taunted Teboho Mokoena’s celebration after scoring the equalizing penalty for South Africa against Czechia.
He said the elaborate South African dance was uncalled for when the game was not won.
He said, “Maybe I’ll sound harsh, but I have to be honest. That celebration was difficult for me to understand. It’s a penalty to make it 1-1, not a winning goal in a World Cup final. You would think they had just won the tournament. Come on, guys.
“I understand the emotion, I understand what the goal means, and I understand the pressure they were under. But there has to be some perspective. The job wasn’t finished. There was still a lot of football left to play.
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“Personally, I prefer when players celebrate like they know there’s more work to do. Get the ball, get back to the centre circle, and go try to win the game. That mentality is what separates good teams from great teams. South Africa showed character to come back, and they deserve credit for that. But if I’m in that team, I’m telling everyone to calm down and focus on getting the second goal. Because one point is nice, but three points change everything.”
