SOUTH African comedian and host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, has been labelled a racist after calling France’s winning World Cup side a team from Africa — because most of its players were black.

“Africa won the World Cup,” Noah said in a segment on Monday about France’s 4-2 victory against Croatia on Sunday in Moscow.

“I get it, they have to say it’s the French team,” Noah said. “But look at those guys. You don’t get that tan by hanging out in the south of France, my friends.

“Basically if you don’t understand, France is Africans’ backup team. Once Senegal and Nigeria got knocked out, that’s who we root for.”

When The Daily Show posted its comment on Twitter saying, “Congratulations to Africa on winning the 2018 Men’s World Cup!”, to its more than 7 million followers, it didn’t go down too well.

The mostly French natives hit back on Twitter noting that nearly every team member, regardless of their race, was born and raised in France.

One user and Egyptian-French TV personality Nagui Fam directly criticised Noah.

“So f***ing racist, you should be ashamed @Trevornoah.”

TONIGHT: Congratulations to Africa on winning the 2018 Men’s World Cup! pic.twitter.com/ly1wxU1VzT — The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) July 17, 2018

Kevin Razy, a French comedian, also shamed The Daily Show host for regurgitating a racist joke that has circulated in France.

“This is what racists say about our team here in France,” he wrote, though giving the benefit of the doubt. “You didn’t know, now you know.”

Another Twitter user, who claimed to be from France, also slammed Noah posting: “98% of the players were born in France. Only two players were born in Africa, but they came at the age of two. So they’ve grown up in France.

“This is alt right humour here in France. This is so racist to think that because they are black they are not French. They claimed their love of France. You deny them the right to be French? Is this what you want to deliver to all African-Americans also?” the post added, attracting near-universal praise for calling out the comedian’s poor joke.

“I like you dude. But maybe there is something wrong when you start to use the ‘joke’ already done by Nazis,” wrote another user.

Fox News reported that the comedian’s comments came just a day before former United States president Barack Obama used the French team as an example of how people should look beyond race and embrace everyone as a fellow citizen.

“Just ask the French football team that just won the World Cup. … Not all of those folks looked like Gauls to me. But they’re French! They’re French,” Mr Obama said in Johannesburg during a speech honouring late South African leader Nelson Mandela.

The comedian is yet to respond to the backlash.