Afcon: South Africa slams Nigeria for football safety warning
A diplomatic dispute has erupted between Nigeria and South Africa ahead of their upcoming semi-final match at the Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for Wednesday.
The Nigerian High Commission in South Africa has cautioned Nigerian football enthusiasts against engaging in exuberant celebrations should their team emerge victorious. This caution aims to prevent the incitement of xenophobic incidents by disgruntled South African supporters.
However, South Africa has dismissed this caution as unwarranted, labeling it as a “false alarm.” Despite the longstanding rivalry between the two football powerhouses—the Super Eagles and Bafana Bafana—South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) stated on Tuesday that there is no history of soccer hooliganism among South Africans during matches against Nigeria.
Dirco emphasized that South Africa, known for its love of sports, poses no danger to Nigerian citizens and disapproves of the apprehension expressed by the Nigerian High Commission. The department expressed regret over the advisory, suggesting that it fosters unnecessary tension between South African citizens and Nigerians residing in or visiting South Africa.
As of now, Nigeria has not yet responded to the statement issued by South African officials.
In recent years, South Africa has witnessed a surge in xenophobic attacks targeting Africans who have migrated to the country from other parts of the continent, often in search of better economic prospects.
In its statement earlier on Tuesday, Nigeria’s diplomatic service said it was issuing the warning because it had seen evidence of “veiled threats” by South Africans online.
It advised Nigerians living in South Africa to “be watchful of their utterances, be mindful of where they choose to watch the match especially in public places, and refrain from engaging in loud, riotous or provocative celebrations should the Super Eagles win”.
Kick-off is at 17:00 GMT on Wednesday in the Ivorian city of Bouaké.
The other semi-final is between the hosts Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
