By Gloria Drealomalicha
Football legend and former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has issued an apology to Nigerians following criticism over comments he made during a FIFA Club World Cup broadcast that some fans considered offensive.
Henry, who was working as a pundit for FOX Sports during the United States’ 4-1 victory over Paraguay, found himself at the centre of a social media storm after a light-hearted exchange with popular streamer IShowSpeed.
During the broadcast, IShowSpeed was seen wearing a pair of Nigeria shorts alongside a United States Men’s National Team jersey. Reacting to the outfit, Henry remarked: “I love Nigeria, but not today. Today is USA for you.”
When the streamer asked, “What’s wrong with Nigeria?”, Henry quickly responded: “Nigeria is great.”
However, moments later, after Paraguay scored against the United States, the former France international jokingly suggested that the mixed outfit had brought bad luck.
“You see? You bring bad luck. That’s you bringing bad luck,” Henry said.
The comment triggered criticism from some Nigerian football fans online, with several social media users accusing the Arsenal and Barcelona icon of being disrespectful towards the West African nation.
In response to the backlash, Henry released a video clarifying his remarks and insisting that his comments had been misunderstood.
“I needed to clarify something because I don’t think people understand when you say stuff sometimes or when a joke is a joke,” he explained.
Referring to IShowSpeed’s outfit, Henry said the joke was about mixing national team clothing rather than Nigeria itself.
“I just spoke yesterday about the shorts of Nigeria and the top of the US. I just said to him it is bad luck to break the set.
“It could have been the shorts of France, Italy or Spain, I would have said exactly the same thing. I was simply joking that mixing the kit could bring bad luck.”
The former striker stressed that he holds Nigeria and its people in high regard, noting the country’s strong support for Arsenal over the years.
“I even said that I love Naija. And by the way, I do. I have great respect for Nigeria and the people there. There are a lot of Arsenal fans out there, so please don’t misunderstand what I meant.
“Nigeria is never bad luck. I was only saying that breaking the set is bad luck, regardless of which country’s shorts you wear.”
Henry’s clarification has helped ease tensions among some fans, although the incident highlights how quickly light-hearted comments can be interpreted differently in the age of social media.
Leave a Reply