“Go Bek Home”: Oseni Rufai and Nigerian Fans Troll South Africa’s Bafana Bafana After 1-1 Draw with Czechia at 2026 World Cup

A stoppage-area penalty in the 83rd minute salvaged a 1-1 draw for South Africa against Czechia in Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on 18 June 2026, but the result did little to quiet critics — particularly from Nigeria — who swiftly took to social media to ridicule Bafana Bafana’s performance.

Czechia had taken the lead as early as the sixth minute through Michal Sadílek, with South Africa failing to find a response until Teboho Mokoena converted a late penalty. The draw gave both sides their first point of the tournament following opening-round defeats, keeping their qualification hopes technically alive while leaving each team with a steep climb in the remaining group fixtures.

The result triggered a wave of mockery across Nigerian social media, with users on X reviving the viral phrase “go bek home” — a deliberate phonetic distortion of “go back home,” a phrase historically directed at Nigerian and other African migrants in South Africa. The rhetoric, long associated with xenophobic sentiment in the country, was turned back on Bafana Bafana as a form of satirical commentary on both their football performance and the broader socio-political tensions between the two nations.

Among the most prominent voices amplifying the trend was Oseni Rufai, a media personality and presenter at Arise TV. Posting on his official X account during the match, Rufai wrote: “South Africa it’s time to go Bek home.” The post generated widespread quote tweets and replies, with many Nigerian users framing the draw as an insufficient result for South Africa’s chances of advancing from the group.

Other users joined in with similar messaging. One post from the account @fweshtiny read: “We want South Africa to finish their group stage matches so that they can go ‘bek’ immediately to their ‘Kantry’ to protect their ‘jabs’ and women.” Another user, @UTDTrey, posted: “CZECH SOUTH AFRICAAAA GET READY TO GO BEK HOME.” The account @Serwaa_Amihere added: “Agenda delayed is not denied. See you in your next match. You must go beck to your kentry.”

The cross-border football rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa carries significant historical weight. Nigeria famously ended South Africa’s 2026 World Cup qualification hopes during the CAF qualifying rounds, a result that deepened existing tensions between the two football fanbases. The “go bek home” phrase has since become a recurring motif on Nigerian social media whenever Bafana Bafana suffer setbacks.

South African fans were not silent, however. A number of users pushed back against the trolling, pointing to Nigeria’s own domestic and footballing challenges, ensuring the online exchange remained a two-way affair.

From a tournament perspective, South Africa now face a difficult path through Group A. With only one point from two matches, Bafana Bafana will require strong results in their remaining games to secure a place in the knockout rounds. Czechia find themselves in a similarly precarious position. The draw means neither side has yet demonstrated the consistency required to suggest progression is probable, though elimination is not yet confirmed for either team.

The online banter, while rooted in football, continues to reflect deeper socio-political fault lines between Nigeria and South Africa — tensions over immigration, employment, and regional identity that have periodically erupted into public discourse over the years. Major international tournaments have consistently provided the backdrop for these exchanges to resurface, and the 2026 World Cup appears to be no exception.