Has the heat gone to the heads of the players from Morocco and DR Congo? After a fast-paced, hard-fought match, the players from both teams wanted to fight it out at the final whistle. It was a deplorable spectacle that we'd hate to see again at AFCON 2023.While Walid Regragui and Sébastien Desabre wanted to bury the hatchet, Chancel Mbemba's reaction was full of innuendo.
🚨 Énorme bagarre sur le terrain puis dans le couloir entre les deux équipes.
Scène complètement surréaliste où les deux équipes courent vers le couloir. #CAN2023 pic.twitter.com/xulu0ljhNG
— Hanif Ben Berkane (@HanifBerkane) January 21, 2024
Morocco and DR Congo put on a fine show on the pitch this Sunday, January 21, drawing 1-1 in Group F. But the end of the match was nothing short of deplorable. There was a general brawl at the final whistle. The scuffle began when Chancel Mbemba and Walid Regragui got into an altercation.According to beIN Sports, the Moroccan coach criticized the Congolese captain for refusing to greet him at the final whistle. The Moroccan coach didn't appreciate this. "Look at me, look at me", he shouted, according to Onze Mondial. Afterwards, the various players heated up on the pitch, but also in the corridor leading to the dressing rooms. Naturally, the players involved in this Morocco-RD Congo match were expected to explain the reasons for the post-match tension. Walid Regragui, however, preferred to ignore the issue, while subtly accusing the Congolese defender. "I have nothing to say about that. I have a lot of respect for Mbemba. Maybe it was the adrenaline that made him respond like that. There's nothing to worry about. I'm sorry because we didn't give a good account of ourselves or the DRC," declared the Moroccan coach in remarks relayed by journalist Hanif Ben Berkane.
As for his counterpart Sébastien Desabre, he explained why he thought there had been these altercations.
"It's very hot and we're already tired on the bench, so the players... There was a bit of frustration on both sides. These are men's matches, so it's normal. That's the beauty of it. There was a bit of tension, but it's gone down now," says the Leopards' coach.
La fin de match Maroc - RD Congo a donné lieu à des scènes de violence incroyables… https://t.co/dKTro6pk7j
— DZfoot (@DZfoot) January 21, 2024
Chancel Mbemba defends himself
Sébastien Desabre then defended his captain."Mbemba is an extraordinary person. There was a bit of frustration on both sides. We shouldn't even raise those points. We're in the professional soccer community. These are men's matches, so it's normal. That's the beauty of it. There was some tension, but it's calmed down now, and we wish Morocco every success for the future.As for Mbemba, his reaction was less one of reconciliation. "I respect the coach, who is a great man. Television has cut the videos, but I have them. I don't need to give them away. It's better if I keep quiet, that's just the way I am. Everyone knows me, I respect everyone, I don't need to shoot anyone, but God's justice is there. When I play soccer I play normally, I'm not a super player. That WORD he said, it's the coach himself who will say it. He himself will speak". It should be noted that after the match, Chancel Mbemba was the victim of racist insults on his Instagram page.
Des milliers de marocains insultent le joueur congolais Mbemba sur sa page instagram (un extrait en bas).
Partagez en masse pour que les africains sachent le vrai visage du #Maroc le pays le plus raciste en Afrique.#Morocco #Racism #Congo #Mbemba #AFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/8Y6DTbJh9J
— 🇩🇿 أوراس54 (@aures_54) January 21, 2024
