A Senegalese, an England jersey and a French passport

We all know about the long history of enmity between the French and the English. Their antagonism transcends all areas – politics, culture, economy, social and sports.

As such, it is common for the Brits to thrash the French haughtiness, just as the retorts from the other side on the British food.

And when it comes to sports, especially football, there is no higher insult in one fan to be seen in the jersey of the other nation. This is the unwritten rule agreed and adhered by fans in both countries.

Everyone knows this…well almost everyone until now!

On Monday, a Senegalese man attempted to enter Cyprus on a forged French passport but was caught at the checkpoint. What gave him away? Simple, he was wearing an England jersey and had a French passport.

A football-wary immigration official found this to be a highly unlikely combination, became very suspicious and had a closer look on the passport, which turned out to be a fake.

Reuters quoted a police official as saying:

"Being a football fan, the officer found it highly unlikely that a Frenchman would want to wear an England football jersey."

There is a lesson in here for all potential illegal immigrants – learn everything about the country you wish to end up in.