Historic celebration with Henry

Panama's hero Cecilio Waterman celebrated a historic goal with French legend Thierry Henry on the morning of March 21.

Cecilio Waterman had a memorable celebration with commentator Henry.

They say never meet your idols, but Cecilio Waterman couldn't help himself as he shone in Panama's 1-0 win over the United States in the CONCACAF Nations League semi-finals.

The match that seemed to be boring finally had a dramatic ending, when Waterman fired a dangerous shot in the 90+4 minute, bringing a valuable victory to the underdog away team.

Panama's hero had a moment of celebration of a lifetime. After scoring, the 33-year-old striker rushed to the CBS commentary box outside the stadium, where Thierry Henry was sitting to commentate the scene.

He immediately rushed forward, jumped over the fence, got close to Henry and hugged the former French player, while his teammates in Panama also came to surround him to share the joy. “You are my idol! You are my idol!” – Waterman shouted in Spanish at that moment.

After the match, on the commentary show, Waterman was invited to participate and recount the story of how he grew up with Henry as a great inspiration.

“Last night at the team hotel I was asked, ‘Who is your idol?’ and I said, ‘Always Thierry Henry.’ I watched him play at Arsenal, and the truth is, ever since I was a kid, he was my inspiration. I scored a goal, saw him and knew I had to go and say hello,” Waterman said.

Henry admitted he was surprised by the situation and was glad the hug went in such a meaningful way. “I never thought I would be part of a celebration like that without scoring or even being on the pitch,” Henry said.

“I could see it in his eyes – he was in a trance,” the former Arsenal star admitted. “Luckily I understand Spanish. When he said ‘eres mi idolo’ (you are my idol), I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but it was a special moment.”

Waterman's goal helped Panama reach the Nations League final, giving them a chance to win their first major CONCACAF title.