AFCON 2021: Kenyan Referee Goes Viral for Incredible Sprint During Nigeria Victory

• Peter Waweru went viral on Twitter for his antics during the Africa Cup of Nations
• The JKUAT lecturer’s run during the Guinea Bissau-Nigeria clash left netizens in stitches
• His refereeing during that game left fans appreciating his dedication and enthusiasm

After a fairly dull start, it is safe to say the Africa Cup of Nations is in full swing now.

The group stages are done and there have been some surprise packages as well as shock exits so far – case in point the likes of Ghana and Algeria.

Away from the actual footballing action and there have also been some viral clips from the tournament doing rounds on social media.

None is more heartwarming and hilarious as the one involving Kenyan referee Peter Waweru, whose brilliant run during the match involving Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria.

The Super Eagles maintained their 100% start to the competition with a routine 2-0 win in that game thanks to goals from Umar Sadiq and William Troost-Ekong in the second half.

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But the game’s most viral moment was in the final minute of regulation time when Guinea Bissau were on the attack after getting possession in their own box.

Typically, counter attacks require referees to be in top form in terms of their athleticism as play can switch from one end to the other in a flash.

And this is exactly what referee Peter Waweru exhibited during this Guinea Bissau Counter attack, but his running technique left many in stitches.

With his back straight and knees very high during his run, Waweru broke into a sprint with the players, overtaking some Guinea Bissau players in the process.

Of course, the video led to some hilarious reactions from online users.

“Get this man in the Barclays ASAP,” one said.

“Watched this about 50 times, still cracks me up,” said another.

“This man is running like he is chasing a taxi,” added another.

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“That’s how Pogba runs when he’s pretending to be tracking back,” one user jibed.

"Is that Tom cruise in mission impossible?"

About Peter Waweru

Match officiating is not the only sector that Peter Waweru is talented in.

Off the pitch, the Kenyan graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science in university.

He has been serving as a senior lecturer at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology since 2019.

Kei Kamara speaks after Sierra Leone exit

Elsewhere, striker Kei Kamara was on the spot for missing a crucial penalty late in the game as Sierra Leone bowed out of the Africa Cup of Nations.

But in a statement hours after the match, Kamara said he had no regrets despite the back clash that followed.

“This is the beautiful game. Make sure you give it your all and have no regrets. It was an honour to fly Sierra Leone here in Cameroon at one of the best tournaments in the world ,” he said.