Siyabonga Ngezana shares vile racist messages from fans in Europe
As he continues to strive for excellence at FCSB in Europe, Bafana Bafana defender Siyabonga Ngezana has had his experience marred by the harsh reality of racism and has exposed the hateful social media messages he’s been receiving from fans.
The 27-year-old centre-back made a switch to the Romanian side at the start of the 2023/24 season, signing from the Betway Premiership side Kaizer Chiefs.
He has quickly proven his worth, becoming a regular in the starting line-up under the guidance of coach Elias Charalambous.
His impressive performances have drawn attention from clubs across Europe, including French Ligue 2 side Lorient, Italian Serie A’s Lecce, and English Football League one team Birmingham City FC.
Despite enjoying his time since leaving the country, Ngezana has encountered the challenge of racism. He took to social media on Friday night, revealing the vile abuse directed at him. Among the messages shared were deeply offensive insults.
NGEZANA REVEALS RACISM EXPERIENCE IN EUROPE
One user wrote, “F*cking monkey, I wish you to break your legs.”
Another message threatened, “Next game, you will cry, you f*cking useless player. You are trash. 4-0 for Paok next game. Your little team will cry. You won’t have referee next game bastard without a father.”
A third message simply stated, “Ugly monkey.”
Ngezana, whose career is clearly on an upward trajectory, captioned his post on Instagram with a defiant message: “Turn that racism and curses into power.”
NGEZANA TO FACE LYON IN THE UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE ROUND OF 16
Just last Thursday, 20 February, Ngezana’s FCSB secured their place in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16.
They triumphed over PAOK Thessaloniki with a 2-0 victory in the second leg of their playoff tie, completing a 4-1 aggregate win after their 2-1 first-leg victory.
They have been pitted against French Ligue 1’s Lyon in the Round of 16 with the prospect of a major milestone – reaching the next stage – serving as a motivation for them.
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