Outcry as African journalist posts footage showing female football fans having their breasts felt by security as they are searched entering stadium
Outcry as African journalist posts footage showing female football fans having their breasts felt by security as they are searched entering stadium
Ivory Coast is hosting the AFCON tournament, currently in the group stages
Footage of security frisking women outside a stadium has divided opinion
Critics have shared their outrage after footage emerged showing female football fans having their breasts felt by security as they were searched entering a stadium in the Ivory Coast.
Video circulating online shows a security guard frisking women outside a venue during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, currently in its busy group stages with the final scheduled for February 11.
The officer is first seen lifting and squeezing a female spectator's boobs over her clothing before patting down her back and sides. They then usher the fan to move on before repeating the process another two times.
Former BBC journalist Osasu Obayiuwana shared the video and drew attention to the varied reactions reported so far, writing: 'Some of the responses to this post are unbelievable. The nature of this search is okay, because a woman did this? Really?'
Mr Obayiuwana appeared to be responding to comments on a previous post suggesting the officer was female. He had written: 'Assuming you're right, is that how to search someone?'
He added: 'How can the Ivorian 'authorities think that this is okay?'
A woman is frisked by a security guard outside a stadium during the 2023 AFCON tournament
The footage divided opinion among onlookers, some judging the behaviour 'abusive'
The footage initially sparked outcry in local media, the whole process judged 'unacceptable'.
One X user, formerly Twitter, said: 'Is there no female police officer there?'
Another wrote: 'That's a female officer. Look closely.'
Mr Obayiuwana replied: 'And that makes the nature of the search okay, does it?'
The original poster conceded: 'Nope, that's [an] extreme mode of search for mere stadium access.'
Another user wrote: 'I went to the [Eiffel Tower] fan zone in 2016 for the Euros and I was searched like that It's extremely unpleasant.'
Someone else said: 'Even if the officer is female... this is wrong and abusive in nature.'
The identity of the security guard has not yet been revealed. In the background men can be seen being searched by male guards.
The AFCON has kept its 2023 name despite being held in 2024.
It was pushed back from last summer because it was deemed too hot.
The tournament is currently in its group stages, with the host country pushed to third place behind Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria in Group A with one point from three games.
Senegal will aim to defend their title after winning the 2022 competition - but face stiff opposition from Morocco after a stunning World Cup run in Qatar that December, only knocked out by France in the semi-finals.
Several women were seen to be frisked by the guard in the video
A woman looks bemused as she is ushered away after passing the security check
It was unclear why the video was being filmed, or exactly where it took place
The Africa Cup of Nations is the main international football competition in Africa, sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and held since 1957.
It its first year, there were only three nations participating - Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia - after South Africa was disqualified for its policy of apartheid.
Egypt remains the most successful team in the competition, having won seven titles since inception.
The tournament is held every two years.
Comments
Post a Comment