Nigerian embassy in South Africa
AFCON: Nigerian Embassy in South Africa warns citizens against wild celebrations
The Nigerian embassy in South Africa has warned Nigerian citizens residing in the country to avoid engaging in wild celebrations over the Super Eagles triumph in the upcoming AFCON semi-final clash against Bafana Bafana in Ivory Coast.
Indeed, Nigeria have qualified for the final of the ongoing African Cup of Nations tournament, AFCON, beating South Africa in 4-3 in penalty shootout after the 90 minutes regulated time and 30 minutes extra time.
South Africa got a red card in second 15 minutes of the extra time.
However, the embassy cited potentially inflammatory online comments and veiled threats from a section of South African citizens.
A statement by the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria urged Nigerian nationals to choose public places to observe the match and advised against engaging in loud, riotous, or provocative celebrations if the Super Eagles emerge victorious.
The embassy highlighted concerns related to comments about “Nigerians cooking jollof rice” and threats of retaliation in case of a Bafana Bafana loss.
The advisory also emphasized the importance of maintaining good conduct, being mindful of utterances, and refraining from reciprocating provocations.
In the event of any provocations, Nigerians were encouraged to report them to the appropriate authorities.
The warning comes against the backdrop of previous xenophobic attacks in South Africa, where Nigerian migrants were among those targeted.