Ghana midfielder Bernard Mensah celebrated scoring a for Kayserispor in the Turkish league by taking a knee amid protests around the world against racism.
Mensah scored an exceptional freekick in the 2-1 defeat against Fernabache. It was the first goal of the match and he celebrated by putting his knee on the ground in front of the empty stands, in the company of his Ivorian partner Brice Dja Djedje (the former Marseillais).
The two men also raised their fists, the association of these two gestures, of course, being a reference to the anti-racist movement Black Lives Matter.
"It's sad to be in a situation like this," said the player on Twitter. We will manage to overcome. He added several hashtags including #Alwaysstriveforgreatness, literally "Always aim for greatness".
It sad to be in a situation like this.. In his own time we will overcome #Godfirst #NeverGiveUp #Alwaysstriveforgreatness #AllLivesMatter @malikofori pic.twitter.com/8pLtA9V6wc
— Bernard Mensah (@oliver_mens) June 13, 2020
Protests around the world have been sparked following the death of George Floyd in the US.
The 46-year-old died in Minneapolis in May as a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
The final moments were filmed on phones and four police officers involved have been sacked and charged over his death.