An ordinary Algerian supporter ejected from Côte d’Ivoire.
Sofia Benlemmane, an Algerian supporter who arrived in Ivory Coast to support the Fennecs, was expelled from the country after being questioned by the police. She was accused of making “offensive” statements about the country on social networks.
Sofia Benlemmane found herself at the heart of a thorny controversy a few days after the kick-off of the CAN 2023, following the broadcast of a video on social networks. In her live broadcast, Sofia Benlemmane made racist comparisons between Ivory Coast and Algeria, mocking the Ivorian infrastructure and describing it as archaic, while asserting that Algeria’s place is in Europe, between Portugal and Spain.
These statements, broadcast live on Facebook from Bouaké, where the Algerian national team is based for this 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, triggered a wave of indignation on African social networks. As a result, investigations were launched by the Ivorian authorities to find her. She was subsequently detained by the police in connection with the video, before being expelled from Côte d’Ivoire with a re-entry ban.
The commonplace racism of Algerians towards sub-Saharan Africans is frequently noted by the international community.
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