Nathan Ngoy subjected to racist abuse after Belgium’s win over Turkey

Nathan Ngoy was targeted by racist abuse on Instagram after Belgium’s 3-0 victory over Turkey, with thousands of supporters flooding the Belgian player’s account.

The surge in activity followed an incident involving Ngoy and Arda Guler late in the match, when Belgium were leading 3-0. The two players confronted each other and a brief altercation broke out before team-mates intervened to restore order.

Guler is hugely popular in Turkey, and that support was evident on Ngoy’s Instagram page. Turkish supporters posted large numbers of photographs and videos, openly showing their backing for the Real Madrid player.

However, the reaction also included insults and racist comments aimed at Ngoy, who is Belgian and of Congolese origin.

The contrast with the response to Ngoy’s previous posts was significant. A publication he shared after Belgium’s match against France has since received more than 2,300 comments, while most of the new messages came from accounts based in Turkey.

The abuse formed part of the thousands of reactions posted on Ngoy’s account in the aftermath of the match.