Mexico vs Xenophobia: Africans troll South Africa over migrant violence

South Africa faced an unusual backlash from fellow African football fans after a 2-0 opening-match loss to Mexico at the World Cup, with social media trending more with jokes and taunts than the usual early-tournament solidarity seen among African nations.
The match itself saw co-host Mexico beat South Africa 2-0, but the online reaction reflected wider tensions. Memes celebrating Mexican culture — sombreros, flags and playful name changes — were common, yet many posts carried a sharper edge tied to reports of xenophobic violence in South Africa, BBC reports.
Some African supporters said their choice to back Mexico was a deliberate statement about recent anti-migrant incidents. “You w...