The son of Cheick Tiote was the mascot of Newcastle against Arsenal tonight – 14 years to the day that his deceased father scored a dramatic late equalizer against the Gunners.
Tiote was only 30 years old when he died tragically from a cardiac arrest in June 2017.
The midfielder of Ivory Coast fell ill during training with Chinese side Beijing Su.
And his death sent shock waves around the world of football.
Newcastle remained particularly destroyed, with Tiote only six months after leaving St James' Park.
He played 156 times for Toon from 2010 to 2017 and became a big favorite with fans.
And for the semi-final of tonight Crunch Carabao Cup against Arsenal, Newcastle tributed to Tiote by making their official competition mascot by son Rafael.
The 11-year-old, who visited the club as a guest in 2021, proudly posed in his black and white stripes in St James' park for the kick-off.
And Rafael's time in the spotlight came exactly 14 years after Dad Cheick yielded a dramatic late equalizer in the 4-4 draw of Newcastle with Arsenal.
The competition match, which took place in 2011, saw the Gunners racing in a 4-0 lead in the northeast.
But a red card for Abou Diaby saw Newcastle 4-3 go back.
Tiote then became a club hero with a brilliant long -distance attack in the 86th minute to seal a point for the hosts.
And fans reacted with delight when they saw that son Rafael wore his father's shirt on Wednesday evening.
Newcastle first tweeted: “We are honored to have the son of Cheick Tiote, Rafael, as one of our mascots for tonight's game.
“Ever a Geordie, always a Geordie.”
A fan answered: “That's class.”
Another stated: “Cheers, I am in tears now.”
They noted: “Football heritage.”
Another added: “This is beautiful.”
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