Apparent Racism in Columbia-South Korea Football Game Sparks Outrage (VIDEO)

© AP Photo / Ahn Young-joonIn this Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, photo, Colombia's Edwin Cardona, center, makes derogatory gesture during a friendly soccer match against South Korea at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, south of Seoul
In this Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, photo, Colombia's Edwin Cardona, center, makes derogatory gesture during a friendly soccer match against South Korea at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, south of Seoul - Sputnik International
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Colombian footballer Edwin Cardona has apologized for his offensive gesture during his team's friendly match with South Korea on Friday, which was caught on camera and made public, prompting accusations of racism.

"As regards to what happened today, it was not my intention to disrespect anybody, or a country or race, but if anybody interpreted it that way, I am sorry," AFP quotes Cardona as saying in a video posted on the Colombian team's Twitter account.

"I am not an aggressive person and that moment in the match has been badly interpreted," the 24-year-old said.

His apologies refer to the insulting hand signal the half-back made during Friday's exposition match with the team of South Korea in Seoul.

Edwin Cardona was caught on camera trying to make a slant-eyes gesture during a minor scuffle between the two teams in the second half of the match, when another Colombian player tried to bring a South Korean footballer to his feet. The sign, which was immediately made public, has been condemned as racist by South Korean captain Ki Sung-yueng.

​"I thought the Colombians played a physical, rough game today, but it can happen in football," Ki said. "But racist behavior is absolutely unacceptable. Colombia has world-class players, and I was extremely disappointed to see such action."

​Twitter users have called it idiotic and apologized for the Colombian player.

​The Colombian football association "sincerely" apologized over the incident to its South Korean counterpart, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

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