Nigerians in South Africa have been warned to be mindful of where they watch the semi final African Cup of Nations (AFCON) clash between Super Eagles and Bafana Bafana and to equally refrain from wild celebrations should Nigeria win.
The warning was issued in a statement by Nigeria’s High Commission in South Africa yesterday. The statement read: “The attention of the Nigeria High Commission Pretoria has been drawn to potentially inflammatory online comments made by a section of South African citizens against Nigerians living in host country, largely influenced by the upcoming AFCON semi-final match between the Super Eagles and the Bafana Bafana on Wednesday.
“Most of the comments consist of veiled threats against ‘Nigerians cooking jollof rice’ before the match, and ‘showing pepper to Nigerians if the Bafana Bafana lose to Super Eagles’, among others.
“In this regard, the High Commission hereby advises the Nigerian community to be watchful of their utterances, be mindful of where they choose to watch the match, and refrain from engaging in loud, riotous or provocative celebrations should Nigeria win the match.
“Additionally, Nigerians should maintain the good conduct they are known for, and be law abiding before, during and after the match. Should any provocations arise, they should not be reciprocated but reported to the appropriate authorities.”
Meanwhile, following the unexpected outcome for Nigerian artists at the 66th edition of the Grammy Awards, which was held on Sunday, singer Teniola Apata, also known as Teni, has urged the Super Eagles to give their all to secure victory in Wednesday’s Semi-final match against South Africa.
She specifically urged star striker, Victor Osimhen and his teammates to aim for a decisive victory over the South Africans as revenge for the defeat suffered by some Nigerian artists at the hands of South African singer Tyla during the 66th Grammys.
It’s worth noting that in the year 2023, the Grammy Awards introduced a new category called Best African Music Performance. This category aimed to recognize the biggest songs in Africa for that year. Among all the nominees, Tyla received her first and only Grammy nomination, which eventually became her first Grammy award in history. This came as a surprise to many fans on social media who had anticipated the award going to Davido or Burna Boy.
This sparked an intense debate on social media with celebrities as well as fans of popular Nigerian artists all taking to social media to express their distaste about the announcement and win.
