Xenophobia: Onoh urges Africans to back Mexico against South Africa in World Cup opener

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By Denis Agbo

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The Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly and former South-East Spokesman to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Denge Josef Onoh, has called on Nigerians and Africans to support Mexico over South Africa in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup today.

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Onoh linked his appeal to allegations of xenophobia in South Africa.

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In a statement titled “Africa, Stand with Mexico Today: Let Us Boycott the Spirit of Xenophobia as We Did Apartheid in 1976,” Onoh urged Africans to rally behind Mexico when it faces South Africa in the Group A opener in Mexico City.

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He drew parallels with the 1976 Montreal Olympics boycott by 29 African countries, led by Nigeria, to protest New Zealand’s sporting ties with apartheid South Africa. Onoh said that collective action helped isolate the apartheid regime and accelerated its downfall.

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“Today, the tables have turned in a most painful way. South Africa, the very nation we helped liberate, now stands accused by many across the continent of harboring deep-seated xenophobia toward fellow Africans.”

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He cited reports of attacks on Nigerian traders, Zimbabwean migrants, and other Africans in South African communities as reason for his stand.

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Onoh said his call was not against the South African people as a whole, but against what he described as a troubling pattern that betrays the principles of Ubuntu and pan-African brotherhood. He described Mexico as a co-host representing hospitality and mutual respect among developing nations.

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“This is not mere sports rivalry. Football has always been a platform for larger truths. In 1976, we used the Olympics to fight for justice. In 2026, let us use the World Cup to send a clear signal that ingratitude and xenophobic tendencies will not go unchallenged,” Onoh said.

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He urged Nigerians and Africans to show support for Mexico on social media and in viewing centers, and to let South Africa’s Bafana Bafana “feel the weight of continental disappointment on the field.”

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