US Ambassador’s Call to Bring American Football to SA Sparks Mixed Reactions Over "White Genocide"
- An unexpected NFL proposal from the US ambassador has sparked a wide-ranging debate among South Africans
- Supporters welcomed the possibility of seeing American football played locally, while others raised political concerns
- The proposal comes against the backdrop of an increasingly complicated relationship between Washington and Pretoria
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US Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III has suggested bringing an NFL game to Mzansi, prompting sharply divided reactions online.
Bozell made the suggestion on Thursday, 10 September 2026, while promoting Saturday's Springboks and All Blacks Test at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
“This weekend, two great sporting traditions come together as the Springboks and All Blacks take one of rugby’s greatest rivalries to @Ravens M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore,” Bozell wrote on X.
“But what if we flipped the script and brought American football to South Africa?”
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Bozell is President Donald Trump's ambassador to South Africa. He is a conservative media figure who was nominated by Trump and confirmed by the US Senate in December 2025. His appointment came during a period of strained relations between Washington and Pretoria.
Why Trump and ‘white genocide’ entered the conversation
Trump has repeatedly claimed that white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, face persecution and “genocide”.
The South African government, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, strongly rejects that claim. Pretoria has described the “white genocide” narrative as unsupported and has stressed that South Africa's constitutional system protects the rights of all citizens.
Nevertheless, the Trump administration created a special refugee pathway for Afrikaners. A US presidential determination authorised an increased refugee ceiling specifically for Afrikaners from South Africa, citing alleged racial discrimination.
That background explains why several responses to Bozell's sporting suggestion quickly became political.
South Africans react to the NFL proposal
Gayton McKenzie, South Africa's Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, welcomed the proposal, writing:
“Fully agree, Ambassador. Let’s get cracking, flip that script and show Saffas what a great game American Football truly is.
"Once you get the basics of the rules, it is brilliant fun and I love it. Netflix is also a good teacher.”
Leon Schreiber, the Minister of Home Affairs, wrote:
“Great idea, let’s make it a two-way street @USAmbRSA @NFL! I nominate my @Eagles as one of the teams and Cape Town to host @geordinhl 🇿🇦 Go Birds!”
The US Mission in South Africa also responded:
“Hmmmm we think you may be onto something @USAmbRSA – would be exciting to experience an @NFL game in Mzansi.”
But the political backdrop was impossible to miss.
@NicDawes wrote:
“I am all for a return to this kind of US-South Africa diplomacy, but it might be a bit hard to explain while you are flying white ‘refugees’ out of the country that you want to fly NFL teams into.”
@BhavMaharaj wrote:
“One, we are going to laugh at you with the padding and the helmets. Two, and then what must happen with the genocide?! Three, We are going to laugh at you because our high schoolers will take your footballers out with a sneeze.”
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@Malatjie_ wrote:
“Why would you want to fly your NFL players into a torn country where people are randomly killed just for being of a certain race.”
Another user, @LongLiveMagesh, wrote:
“Don't you wanna check with your president first ambassador? Do you think he would be comfortable with your white players coming to a country he is apparently rescuing white people from? He seems to think there is a white genocide, no?”
Meanwhile, @StuartMckenna offered a straightforward response:
“That sounds epic!! I would definitely go watch”
NFL is already expanding beyond America
The idea is not entirely out of step with the NFL's current strategy. The league is aggressively expanding internationally and will stage a record nine regular-season games across seven countries in 2026. South Africa is not among this year's host countries.
The NFL also operates programmes across Africa, including NFL Flag, development camps and its International Player Pathway. The league says more than 125 NFL players were of African descent as of 2024.
For now, however, there is no confirmed NFL fixture in South Africa. Bozell's post was a suggestion, not an announcement.
The reaction shows that while an NFL game could generate sporting interest in Mzansi, any major US sporting initiative would also arrive against a much bigger diplomatic backdrop.
Source: Getty Images
How much the Springboks and All Blacks' Baltimore clash could generate
Briefly News previously reported that taking the Springboks and All Blacks to Baltimore is about more than giving American fans a taste of rugby. The high-profile fixture also comes with significant financial considerations for the teams and the wider event.
The figures surrounding the Baltimore showdown offer a glimpse into why taking one of rugby's biggest rivalries to the United States could be such a valuable proposition, with the money involved likely to attract as much interest as the action itself.
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Source: Briefly News
