FC Twente drew 2-2 with Ajax in Enschede on Sunday. After the final whistle, Tolu Arokodare and Wout Weghorst sought each other out, held hands, closed their eyes and prayed together.
Arokodare’s admiration for Weghorst
Before the game, Ajax striker Tolu Arokodare spoke at length to ESPN about his admiration for Weghorst, whom he had followed during his time at Manchester United. “I'm a Manchester United fan. When he played there, I was very surprised by his work ethic,” Arokodare said.
Arokodare and Weghorst had previously met when Arokodare played for KRC Genk in a friendly against Burnley, where Weghorst was under contract at the time.
The lesson in the gym
After that friendly, Arokodare wanted to speak to Weghorst to learn more about his attitude, but Weghorst had gone straight to the gym. Arokodare found him there and said: “He taught me that it was all about mentality.”
Their bond played a part in Arokodare’s move to Ajax. When Ajax showed interest this summer, Arokodare asked Weghorst for advice. “And he had nothing but good things to say about Ajax,” Arokodare said.
The match in Enschede
Arokodare and Weghorst lined up on opposing sides in Enschede. Arokodare headed Ajax in front after just over two minutes from an Oscar Gloukh cross.
Rayane Bounida made it 2-0 in the second half. Weghorst headed FC Twente back into the match. In the closing stages, VAR intervened over a foul by Lucas Rosa on Ramiz Zerrouki, and Weghorst scored FC Twente’s equaliser from the penalty spot.
