Bristol’s Diedhiou faces racial abuse online

London, July 19 (IANS) Bristol City striker Famara Diedhiou was the target of racial abuse online after missing a penalty in his side’s 1-0 defeat by Swansea City on Saturday.

Connor Roberts scored for Swansea on the stroke of half time before Diedhiou, 27, failed to level as his 69th-minute spot kick cannoned off the post.

The Senegal international posted a screenshot of a message with three banana emojis, which he received from someone on Twitter. Diedhiou commented, “Why??”

“We stand with Famara Diedhiou and anybody who has to suffer racism in any shape or form. There is no excuse or justification for this disgusting behaviour,” Bristol said in a post on Twitter.

Last week, Crystal Palace forward Wilfried ZahaA and Sheffield United’s David McGoldrick were subjected to similar abuse on social media.

Zaha had said he wants action against racist abuse that black athletes are subject to on social media.

Before Palace’s Premier League match at Aston Villa on Sunday, a 12-year-old boy was arrested after the Cote d’Ivoire international highlighted racist abuse he received.

“People need to understand that whatever your age, that your behaviour and your words come with consequences and you cannot hide behind social media,” Zaha posted on Instagram, adding “it’s time for ‘action’ because this was not an isolated incident”, he said.

“It isn’t enough to just say no to racism. We need action, we need education, things need to change.”

–IANS

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