Bafana Bafana midfielder Ayanda Patosi, who plies his trade in Belgium, was at the centre of a media frenzy yesterday after he accused Belgian police of racism.
According to the Flemish media, Patosi wrote on Twitter: "During a police check, I was asked if I wanted a banana. Is this life in Europe? I'm in shock."
Media outlets immediately picked up the post and appeared to have taken his accusations seriously.
But Patosi removed the tweet shortly afterwards and refused to comment. His club, Lokeren, have distanced themselves from the accusations.
It now remains to be seen whether Belgian police will question him about the alleged incident and take action against the offending officer should he be found guilty.
Patosi later took to Facebook to make a general comment about racism without referring to the alleged incident.
Belgium, which has a large African population, is seen as one of the more accommodative countries in Europe.
Patosi has yet to play this season after picking up a knee injury in pre-season. But he should be fit to resume training next week.
He moved to Belgium in 2011 from the ASD Academy in Cape Town and has seemingly settled well into life in Europe.
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