Racism in football is a form of discrimination often coming from fans, targeting players because of their ethnicity or skin colour. Sadly, this disgraceful behavior has become increasingly visible in recent years, despite efforts by football’s governing bodies to tackle it.
Many African players have faced abuse both on the pitch and online, leaving deep emotional scars that are hard to heal.
In this article, we highlight five African footballers who have been victims of racist abuse in recent year.
Joseph Paintsil (Ghana)
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil faced derogatory remarks online after his side’s 2-1 defeat to city rivals Los Angeles FC in a Major League Soccer clash in 2024.
The Ghanaian forward missed several goalscoring chances in the game and after the match, some supporters of the club took to his social media page to express their grievances with racist remarks
LA Galaxy would go on to win the MLS Western Conference and the MLS Cup that season, with Paintsil playing a key role in the triumphs.
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Tolu Arokodare (Nigeria)
Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare was subjected to racist abuse on social media after his side’s 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in a Premier League match in February 2026.
The Nigerian forward was guilty of missing several opportunities in the clash, including a penalty kick in the first half of the encounter as his side moved closer to suffering relegation from the English top-flight.
The West Midlands club condemned the incident and vowed to work with the necessary authorities to arrest the perpetrators, although no notable arrest has been made as of this writing.
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Inaki Williams (Ghana)
Athletic Bilbao captain Inaki Williams faced racist abuse during a La Liga match against Espanyol in 2020. The Ghanaian forward was substituted in the 69th minute of the clash and while he made his way towards the substitute bench behind the goal, several fans of the opposition made monkey chants and signs directed at him.
A man was later jailed for the incident last year, sentenced to a one-year prison sentence for the racial abuse, while Espanyol also suspended several of their supporters for the incident.
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Kevin-Prince Boateng (Ghana)
During a club friendly match between AC Milan and Italian lower league side Pro Patria in 2023, former Ghanaian forward Kevin-Prince Boateng, alongside some of his teammates, were victims of racist chants from some sections of the crowd.
The former Barcelona forward angrily kicked the ball into the crowd afterwards and walked off alongside his teammate, leading to the suspension of the clash.
Afterwards, about six fans of the club faced jail sentences, while several others were handed hefty fines as punishments was melted out for their improper conduct.
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Ebenezer Akinsanmiro (Nigeria)
Super Eagles midfielder Ebenezer Akinsanmiro was subjected to racist abuse while on loan at Italian Serie B side Sampdoria from Inter Milan, during a league game against Brescia in 2025. The 21-year-old reported the incident to the referee, but was ultimately booked afterwards for his reactions, while the game was suspended temporarily.
A Brescia supporter who was identified after the occurrence was then handed a five-year stadium ban later in the year as punishment for the offence.
