Samu Omorodion racially abused after mocking Achraf Hakimi

Spain eliminated Morocco with a comeback (1-2) to reach the final of the Olympic Games. The match was expected to be a heated affair after Achraf celebrated doing the penguin against Spain at the World Cup in Qatar, something that did not sit well with the Spaniards, even if it was a joke aimed at Kylian Mbappe.

Fate brought Spain and Morocco together again in the semi-finals of the Olympic Games. The duel, as expected, had its moments of tension.

In fact, when the referee awarded Morocco a penalty, Achraf stood in the face of Arnau Tenas and, with a wry smile, said a few words that were not heard, but the gesture soon became the most talked-about thing. The Lions of Atlas scored, but 'La Roja' came back in the second half with goals from Fermin Lopez and Juanlu Sanchez.

Of course, after the match, the Spaniards were reminded of Achraf's penguin celebration at the World Cup and more than one of them used it to celebrate the victory, like Samu Omorodion.

 

August 5, 2024

The Atletico Madrid player shared emojis of penguins and laughing faces alongside a photo of himself taken during the clash. Samu Omorodion then became the target of Moroccan fans.

One wrote to him: "Your deaths, play as a starter and then talk," one Morocco fan wrote to him. Others hurled racist insults at him, posting monkey emojis.

Once again, what happened on the pitch serves as an excuse to bring out the worst in a few. Xenophobia and disrespect should be kept out of the beautiful game, but it is clear that there is still a lot of work to be done.

 

August 6, 2024