A bizarre incident took place in Turkey as two Fenerbahce fans appeared in blackface to welcome N’Golo Kante as the World Cup winner joined the club from Al-Ittihad
An alleged racist incident during the welcoming ceremony arranged by fans for 2018 World Cup winner N’Golo Kante in Turkey has sparked a massive controversy. Kante, who won the Premier League and Champions League with Chelsea in England, joined Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce in the January transfer window from the Saudi Pro League’s Al Ittihad.
Kante’s return to European football was welcomed by thousands of fans who turned up at the Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Istanbul to celebrate the arrival of the French midfielder. But controversy struck when two fans decided to join the celebration with their faces painted black.
‘Racist’ fans welcome Kante in Turkey
The pictures going viral on social media show two fans attending the welcoming ceremony with blackface. One of the fans could also be seen wearing a scarf in the yellow and blue colours of Fenerbahce. He also has Kante written on his forehead.
Appearing in blackface to imitate a black man or woman is seen as racist in most cultures, but the Daily Mail says that it is an act of admiration in Turkey. Interestingly, Turkish football leagues are famous for racist incidents.
Some of the top players have faced racist abuse while playing inthe Turkish Super Lig.
🚨🤯Fenerbahçe fans celebrating Kanté’s arrival. pic.twitter.com/K6QtyyXZHn
— Speedline (@speedlinexx) February 5, 2026
However, with the Kante incident taking place outside the stadium, Fenerbahce are not in danger of facing any action. The fans are also unlikely to face any music, but they have certainly brought some unwanted bad attention to Turkey.
The images of fans with blackface have gone viral, with multiple global media houses reporting it in their respective countries, a sort of bad PR that no country would want.
Meanwhile, Fenerbahce would hope Kante can lead them to the league title. They are currently second in the table with 46 points from 20 games, three behind leaders Galatasaray.
Reportedly, Kante’s move to Fenerbahce was about to collapse at the last minute, but an intervention from Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan sealed the deal.
According to reports, Erdogan held a discussion regarding Kante’s transfer from Al Ittihad during his state visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, eventually paving the way for the transfer to be completed.
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