Post by The Insight Desk with Ismail Auwal (@theinsights)

What Happened to Ubuntu?: When Mexico beat South Africa, Africa celebrated.

When Mexico defeated South Africa in the opening match of the FIFA World Cup, the celebrations that followed across parts of Africa had little to do with football.

For generations, Africans rallied behind fellow Africans on the global stage. Whether in politics, liberation struggles, or sports, the instinct was often the same: when one of us wins, we all win.

So why did so many Africans celebrate South Africa's defeat?

Was it simply football banter, or was it a reflection of something deeper? A continent that once stood shoulder to shoulder with South Africa during the darkest days of apartheid is now asking uncomfortable questions about xenophobia, solidarity, and the meaning of Ubuntu.

Can a nation that taught the world "I am because we are" continue to inspire Africa while fellow Africans are attacked, blamed, and made to feel unwelcome within its borders?

Perhaps the real story is not about a football match. Perhaps it is about whether South Africa is slowly losing the goodwill that the rest of Africa once gave so freely.

0 likes · 0 comments · 1 shares