In a Kenyan sports bar, several football fans loudly cheered South Africa's opponents during their latest Fifa World Cup fixture — a stark reflection of continental anger over recent xenophobic violence in the republic.
"Everything is political in football. We are against what South Africa is standing for," said Shahim, a 37-year-old Kenyan woman, clenching her fists in joy every time Bafana Bafana missed an opportunity against the Czech Republic on Thursday night. "We want South Africans to react against what is happening in their country... but nothing happens," she added.
South Africa has been gripped for months by localised protests demanding the deportation of undocumented immigrants. While the marches have rarely exceeded a few thousand participants, they have been accompanied by a torrent of xenophobic hostility online and have attracted significant international media attention.
The unrest has flipped the traditional tournament script, where African nations historically unite to support the continent's representatives on the global stage.
"We support all the other African teams. This is to teach them that there are consequences," said Shahim's friend, Fatma, a 34-year-old farmer. "When you have a superiority complex, you suffer alone."
The South African government confirmed it has repatriated 2,745 foreign nationals following President Cyril Ramaphosa's pledge to crack down on undocumented immigration. In response, Ghana and Nigeria have repatriated several hundred of their own citizens, while approximately 600 Mozambicans returned home following a wave of violence in the southern coastal town of Mossel Bay that left at least two people dead.
The hostility has shocked observers across the continent and turned many neutral football fans against Bafana Bafana. There was widespread celebration online when the side lost 2-0 to Mexico in their opening fixture last week. One viral social media meme depicted a map of the African continent blanketed by the Mexican flag, with only South Africa excluded.
"The whole continent seems to have become Afro-Mexican," quipped Wode Maya, a popular Ghanaian vlogger, who jokingly urged his followers to reply to his posts in Spanish.
Even Confederation of African Football (CAF) spokesperson Ibrahim Sannie Daara weighed in on the discourse, posting on X (formerly Twitter): "You cannot mistreat Africa and still expect Africa's full blessing on the world stage." Daara later moderated his remarks, deleting the original post and calling on all Africans to pull on the South African jersey.
Despite the political tension, the atmosphere remained largely light-hearted in the Nairobi bar visited by reporters for the Czech Republic fixture, which ended in a fighting 1-1 draw, and where a handful of South African expatriates were in attendance.
Edwin, a 50-year-old Kenyan communications professional, insisted he remained determined to back all African representatives regardless of geopolitics. "You cannot judge an entire country because of a vocal minority," he argued, recalling historical precedents of mass expulsions in East Africa, such as dictator Idi Amin’s expulsion of tens of thousands of Ugandan Asians in 1972.
However, other patrons were far less forgiving of the current situation.
"It is not because you face unemployment that you can attack fellow Africans," said Richie, a Tanzanian consultant visiting Nairobi, who highlighted his country's deep historical and logistical support for black South Africans during the anti-apartheid liberation struggle. "Unless they change, we will do it over and over again."
The South African Football Association (SAFA) issued an official statement denouncing the "online harassment and abusive messages" directed at the playing squad, labelling the digital backlash "unacceptable".
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Thursday's match, Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams admitted the continental backlash has affected the camp.
"It does hurt," Williams conceded. "As players, you want to focus entirely on doing your job, which is playing football. But suddenly you get dragged into politics, and you really do not want to be in that space."
AFP
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