LONDON: Son Heung-min dedicated his historic goal in Tottenham’s 2-1 win against Brighton to his late grandfather after the South Korea star became the first Asian to score 100 times in the Premier League.
Son reached his century in style with a superb curling finish to put Tottenham ahead in the first half in north London on Saturday.
After Lewis Dunk’s equalizer, Harry Kane’s 79th-minute winner ensured Son’s goal wouldn’t go to waste as fifth-placed Tottenham stayed in the hunt to qualify for the Champions League via a top-four finish.
It was a welcome boost for the 30-year-old Son, who has endured a difficult season.
As well as an unusually long run of poor personal form, which including several spells on the bench, Son has had to cope with the recent death of his grandfather.
“This was something that I dreamed for. It is an amazing achievement which I wouldn’t have had without my team-mates,” he told the BBC.
“Scoring 100 goals in the Premier League is a massive thing. I was really emotional because I have had tough moments in the last few weeks. My grandad passed away and it was not easy. I want to send that goal to him.”
Son has enjoyed a remarkable career with Tottenham since signing from Bayer Leverkusen for what now looks a bargain £22 million ($27 million) in 2015.
His dynamic displays have established him as one of the Premier League’s most feared, while his humble personality has made him a favorite with Tottenham fans.
Son hopes his latest milestone moment will serve as an inspiration to other Asians dreaming of playing in Europe’s top leagues.
“I hope all the Asian players, especially in South Korea, look at this achievement and believe they can do it as well,” he said.
“It’s a good thing for Asia and I take a big responsibility to be a good example to help the young guys. I want them to believe an Asian player can do amazing things in the Premier League.”
Admitting he sometimes found it hard to stay upbeat during his difficult season, Son added: “Sometimes you always expect an amazing season. I am frustrated but I’m not the perfect player so I need to look at my weaknesses.
“The fans are supporting me and I need to take a big responsibility to do well for the rest of the season.”
Spurs star Son becomes first Asian to score 100 Premier League goals
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Spurs star Son becomes first Asian to score 100 Premier League goals
- Son reached his century in style with a superb curling finish to put Tottenham ahead in the first half in north London on Saturday
- It was a welcome boost for the 30-year-old Son, who has endured a difficult season
Sudan beat Equatorial Guinea for rare AFCON win
- Unlucky Torino center-back Coco saw the ball come off him and ricochet into the net in the 74th minute
CASABLANCA: Sudan boosted their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations after a Saul Coco own goal gave them a 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea on Sunday.
Unlucky Torino center-back Coco saw the ball come off him and ricochet into the net in the 74th minute in Casablanca when his teammate Luis Asue attempted to clear a Sudan free-kick.
Sudan won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1970 but this is just their second victory in 18 matches across six appearances at the tournament since then.
They lie 117th in the FIFA world rankings, compared to Equatorial Guinea in 97th.
The win leaves Kwesi Appiah’s team on three points from two games in Group E, while Equatorial Guinea have lost both matches so far.
Sudan are competing at this AFCON in Morocco despite the country having been devastated since war broke out between the army and rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.
They will play Burkina Faso in their last group game on Wednesday and will be aiming to reach the knockout stages of the Cup of Nations for just the second time since that 1970 triumph — they got to the quarter-finals in 2012 before losing to eventual winners Zambia.
