Jorthy Mokio sparked a storm on social media after Ajax's away win over PEC Zwolle. After the 0-2 victory, Ajax posted a photo of the 18-year-old goalscorer on Instagram Stories with a Belgian flag emoji, before Mokio corrected it by replying with a Congolese flag.
Born in Ghent, Mokio's response did not come out of nowhere. Earlier this year, the midfielder chose to switch his football nationality and represent DR Congo from now on, having previously made one international appearance for Belgium.
That correction triggered a wave of strong reactions on X, particularly from Belgian football fans. Under a widely viewed post, one user summed up his decision as 'ingratitude in one image'.
Others in Belgium were less forceful but still critical. "If it ultimately goes wrong, he will remember this," one user wrote, while someone else said the Belgian federation 'should no longer develop players with dual nationality'.
Many other users, though, jumped to Mokio's defence. "Respect his choice, it's as simple as that," read one response, while another user wrote: "What is ungrateful about this? He chose Congo and has also made that public."
Ajax also came in for criticism from supporters who felt the Amsterdam club should simply have used the correct flag for Mokio. "Mokio wants to represent DR Congo, so let's just use the right flag," was the verdict.