Nathan Ngoy was targeted by racist abuse on Instagram after Belgium’s 3-0 victory over Turkey.
The defender’s account was flooded with reactions, many of them from Turkish supporters, following a late confrontation with Arda Guler during the match.
With Belgium leading 3-0, Ngoy and Guler faced each other and became involved in a brief altercation. Other players intervened to restore order.
Guler, who plays for Real Madrid, is hugely popular in Turkey, and that support was evident on Ngoy’s Instagram profile. Turkish fans posted large numbers of photographs and videos expressing their backing for the midfielder.
Among the thousands of comments, however, were insults and racist remarks directed at Ngoy, who is Belgian and of Congolese origin.
The volume and source of the reaction marked a significant difference from Ngoy’s previous posts. A publication he shared after Belgium’s match against France has since received more than 2,300 comments, while most of the new messages following the Turkey game came from Turkish accounts.