The official Benin national team pages on Instagram and Facebook have provoked Egyptian football fans ahead of the anticipated match tomorrow, Monday, in the round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Benin national team page posted a disrespectful image of the Egyptian national team, showing the Benin captain holding a whip and lashing Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, who is on the ground appearing extremely terrified. Many viewed this as a provocative and inappropriate act before the upcoming match.
– A humanitarian crisis affecting a Burkina Faso player, keeping him away from the match against Côte d’Ivoire
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Historic bonuses for the Benin national team if they overcome “The Pharaohs”
The Egyptian national team qualified for the round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations after topping Group Two with seven points, from two wins and a draw. They defeated Zimbabwe 2-1, then beat South Africa 1-0, before drawing 0-0 with Angola in the final group stage match.
The Egyptian national team hopes to overcome the obstacle of their Beninese counterpart and continue competing for the continental title, aiming to win the Africa Cup of Nations for the eighth time in their history.
Benin
Benin, historically the site of the powerful Kingdom of Benin (not to be confused with the modern Republic of Benin), was a major West African state from the 13th to 19th centuries, renowned for its sophisticated brass and ivory artworks. Its capital, Edo (now Benin City in Nigeria), was a center of commerce and culture, protected by massive earthwork walls. The kingdom declined after a British punitive expedition in 1897, which resulted in the looting of its famed bronzes.
Egypt
Egypt is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, with a recorded history spanning over 5,000 years and iconic monuments like the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx from the Old Kingdom period. Its rich cultural legacy includes the pharaonic dynasties, the Greco-Roman influence following Alexander the Great’s conquest, and its significant role in the early Islamic caliphates.
Instagram
Instagram is a social media platform and cultural phenomenon founded in 2010, initially centered on sharing square-format photos. It rapidly evolved from a simple photo-sharing app into a major hub for visual communication, influencer culture, and digital marketing, fundamentally shaping modern online interaction and content creation.
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and his Harvard University roommates. It began as a platform for college students before expanding globally, fundamentally changing online communication and becoming one of the world’s largest technology companies.
Africa Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations is the premier international men’s football competition in Africa, first held in 1957. It was founded to unite African nations emerging from colonialism and has grown into a major sporting event held every two years.
Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah is a world-renowned Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liverpool FC and the Egypt national team. Rising from humble beginnings in Nagrig, Egypt, he has become one of the sport’s most prolific scorers and a cultural icon, celebrated for his achievements and his role in inspiring national pride across the Arab world.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a landlocked West African nation whose modern borders were established during French colonial rule, gaining independence in 1960. Historically, it was the heart of the Mossi Kingdoms, which date back to the 11th century and were known for their powerful cavalry and resistance to outside empires. The country’s name, meaning “Land of Honest People,” was adopted in 1984, reflecting a post-colonial cultural identity.
Côte d’Ivoire
Côte d’Ivoire, also known as Ivory Coast, is a West African nation with a rich history shaped by pre-colonial kingdoms, French colonization from the late 19th century, and independence in 1960. Its cultural sites include the historic town of Grand-Bassam, a UNESCO World Heritage site that was an early French colonial capital and a center for the plantation economy. The country is also renowned for its diverse traditions, such as the Goli mask festivals of the Baoulé people and the Senufo wood carvings.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a country in southern Africa, named after the ancient stone city of Great Zimbabwe, which was the capital of a powerful kingdom from the 11th to 15th centuries. The modern nation gained independence from British colonial rule in 1980, following a prolonged liberation struggle.
South Africa
South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of the African continent, known for its diverse cultures, languages, and dramatic landscapes. Its modern history is profoundly shaped by colonialism and the institutionalized racial segregation of apartheid, which ended in 1994 with the country’s first democratic elections and the presidency of Nelson Mandela.
Angola
Angola is a country in southwestern Africa that gained independence from Portugal in 1975 after a long liberation war. Its history includes the powerful pre-colonial Kingdom of Kongo and a legacy as a major source of enslaved people during the transatlantic slave trade. Today, its cultural sites range from the colonial architecture of its capital, Luanda, to the prehistoric rock paintings of Tchitundo-Hulu.
