Ajax's New Striker, Number 99, Celebrates Goals Uniquely: 'The Idea Came From My Brother'

The Nigerian striker follows in the footsteps of compatriot Nkwanko Kanu, the equally towering forward who made a name for himself in Amsterdam during the nineties. Tolu has big shoes to fill, as Kanu scored 27 goals and provided 15 assists in 75 appearances for Ajax. But as soon as the work permit for the 25-year-old Tolu is approved and Ajax has registered him, he can begin his goal hunt in the Eredivisie, KNVB Cup, and potentially the Conference League. When he scores, he does so in a unique way.

During his celebration, he mimes stirring a cup and then drinking from the imaginary cup, with his pinky finger raised. This gesture portrays him as refined and English, as the virtual cup contains tea. "The tea time celebration comes from my initials," the tall striker explained during his presentation at Ajax. "My name is Tolu, so that's the T, Emmanuel, that's the E, and Arokodare, which is the A. That spells T-E-A. That's why I always make tea with my hands, my initials, so consider it tea time. The idea came from my brother. He just thought of it, and it stuck."

Tolu previously made his mark at Amiens in the French Ligue 2, KRC Genk in Belgium, and with Wolves in the Premier League last year. His three goals at the highest level couldn't prevent his club's relegation. In 259 professional appearances before signing with Ajax, he scored 90 goals and provided 22 assists. Since Ajax already had three strikers in Kasper Dolberg, Don-Angelo Konadu, and Marcos Leonardo, Tolu had to choose a distinctive shirt number: 99.

"That was my very first shirt number ever. As a child, I saw Ronaldinho at AC Milan wearing it, and I thought it was cool. At my first club in Latvia, number 9 was already taken, so I decided to take 99. Almost every time I played with that number, I had a good season." At KRC Genk, he became the top scorer in Belgium, wearing number 99 on his back.