Nigeria urges its citizens in South Africa to be careful as tensions rise ahead of soccer match

By CHINEDU ASADU
Associated Press

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s authorities have called for caution over what they described as “veiled threats” against their citizens living in South Africa before both countries meet in an Africa Cup of Nations semifinal. Both countries already have endured a yearslong rivalry, more so because they have Africa’s biggest entertainment industries rather than the continent’s largest economies. But now tensions are rising in the context of soccer as Nigeria and South Africa get ready to play in their semifinal match in the Ivory Coast on Wednesday. The Nigerian High Commission in South Africa said in a statement on Tuesday that some South Africans were making “inflammatory online comments” that mostly “consist of veiled threats” against Nigerians.