Kermit Erasmus of Mamelodi Sundowns during the 2020 MTN8 quarterfinal match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Bloemfontein Celtic at Lucas Moripe Stadium. (Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix)
This is done solely out of respect but there have been players who don’t observe this rule.
Former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor’s full-length sprint in front of Arsenal supporters after he scored for his new employers Manchester City is well documented.
Charismatic striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored against most of his former teams (there are quite a lot) and he has made it a point to celebrate each time. Mamelodi Sundowns’ Kermit Erasmus is one such player on South African shores who does not mind, at all, to rattle the net and jet off to the corner flag and celebrate his goal with his teammates.
The last time he scored against his former team dates back to the bio-bubble where the previous season was concluded after a lengthy pause. Erasmus netted against SuperSport United in a 1-0 win for his former club Cape Town City. United is known as the club that launched the 30-year-old’s career when they sold him to Dutch side Feyenoord Rotterdam as an 18-year-old. He spent some time struggling in Europe until Matsatsantsa A Pitori signed him on a free transfer a couple of years later and he went on to play his first full season in the Premier Soccer League.
In the reverse fixture, Erasmus had a field day against his former employers in a 3-3 thriller in Mbombela. He was involved in two of those goals, assisting Thabo Nodada in the opener and scoring the second goal.
After a season with United, he was bought by Orlando Pirates, who remain the only team that has managed to hold on to the well-travelled striker for three seasons. In his first appearance against United, he scored for Pirates in 2014 in a 2-1 league win where Daine Klate was also on the score sheet against SuperSport, his former team too, while David Mathebula pulled one back for The Spartans.
In what was his final match against SuperSport in the colours of the Sea Robbers, Erasmus was in on the act when Pirates thumped the Pretoria side 4-1 in April 2015 before jetting off to France the following season to play for Stade Rennais FC. Five seasons later, he returned to the country to play for City, and he continued to torment his former clubs.
In a match where he faced the Soweto giants Pirates for the first time in the colours of City, he scored the second goal to give his side a 2-0 lead within the opening 10 minutes. However, they went on to squander that lead and ended up drawing 3-3 much to the frustration of City coach at the time, another former Pirates striker Benni McCarthy.
In his last game against Pirates in City’s blue, the Bafana Bafana striker won all three points for them in a 1-0 win. His final game for City was incidentally against … rolls drum: SuperSport. And yes, he did score about two months ago in the bio to give City a 1-0 win.
On Wednesday night, his new team Mamelodi Sundowns are travelling to the Mother City to face the Citizens. If he is fit enough to play, expect him to score, but don’t hold your breath about lifting his hands up as a sign of respect – he will celebrate.
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