Kaizer Chiefs striker Caleb Bimenyimana celebrating his goal (Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix)
While Caleb Bimenyimana was the hero on the day as he helped Kaizer Chiefs to a 2-1 win over SuperSport United last weekend, he soured the mood with his celebration.
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In celebrating his first goal, Bimenyimana, who was making his first start for Chiefs, made a sign associated with Orlando Pirates.
Pirates are Chiefs’ biggest rival and the celebrations had the Buccaneers supporters teasing their Amakhosi counterparts saying their new man wanted to play for them.
But the Black Panther, as Bimenyimana is known, has explained why he went with the strange celebration which caused so much talk on social media.
“In Burundi we have that sign of a cross, and it is part of our tradition. Since we were under-17, we’ve been doing that celebration,” says the the lanky Burundian.
“And we have grown together to senior level in the national team. In Burundi it means ‘we are together,’ like ‘I’ve got your back and you’ve got my back,’ so that is why we want to keep it. It even appears on the Burundian flag,” added Bimenyimana.
“It had nothing to do with Pirates. I wasn’t even thinking that it’s the same. As I said, it was for me and my brother, what we always do, but now that I know what it means…
“I won’t do it in this country. So, everyone was confused about that on social media, but I repeat, I did it for my friends and my brother. I was happy,” said the Chiefs striker.
Pirates media officer Thandi Merafe was among those who teased Chiefs on Bimenyimana’s celebration.
She posted a photo of the celebrations and said that Chiefs social media administrators had forgotten to publish that one particular photograph.