Bournemouth and Ghana striker Antoine Semenyo has become the latest footballer to be subjected to horrific online racist abuse, taking to social media to expose the vile messages sent to him following Saturday's Premier League fixture.
The 24-year-old forward shared a screenshot on his Instagram story of two direct messages filled with racist slurs and monkey emojis. The abuse arrived after Semenyo featured in Bournemouth's heavy 4-0 home defeat to league leaders Liverpool at the Vitality Stadium.
Semenyo boldly confronted the abuse head-on, simply captioning the screenshot with "Another one" and a facepalm emoji, suggesting this is sadly not an isolated incident for the player.
Football Unites in Condemnation
The disgusting messages have been met with universal condemnation from the football community. Fans and pundits alike have rushed to social media to offer their support to Semenyo and reiterate the message that racism has no place in football or society.
This incident highlights the persistent and ugly problem of online abuse directed at footballers, particularly those of colour. Despite repeated campaigns from the FA, Premier League, and social media companies themselves, players continue to be targeted on platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Calls for Action Grow Louder
Semenyo's decision to publicly share the abuse has ignited fresh calls for social media giants to implement stricter verification processes and more robust measures to identify and ban perpetrators. There is also increasing pressure for stronger legal consequences for those found to be sending racist abuse online.
As the investigation continues, the focus remains on supporting Antoine Semenyo and sending a clear message that such abhorrent behaviour will not be tolerated.
