2024-01-23 09:45:27
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced, on Tuesday, the opening of an investigation into the events that followed the match between the Moroccan national team and the Democratic Republic of the Congo national team, in the second round of the group stage of the 2023 African Cup of Nations.
A statement on CAF’s official website stated: “An investigation has been opened once morest the Moroccan Football Federation and its Congolese counterpart following the events following the match between the two teams.”
He added: “No further comment will be made on this matter until the investigation is completed.”
When the match ended on Sunday in a 1-1 draw, the coach of the “Atlas Lions”, Walid Regragui, went towards the captain of the Congolese national team, Chancel Mbemba, to shake his hand following he was looking towards the sky, complaining regarding the “injustice of the refereeing”, but the latter rose and pulled his hand forcefully. Waving to the effect that the referee ignored the “mouse”, then he made an obscene gesture towards the Moroccan coach, which ignited the anger of the rest of the players, who entered into verbal and fistfights.
Mbemba said, in press statements, that he was insulted with racist language by the Moroccan coach, adding: “I do not need to talk a lot, because God’s justice is the most important. I am not perfect, but on the field I respect everyone and this respect is mutual.”
He added: “I respect Regraki for being a big man, but the video that appeared on television was cut off. I will remain silent because it is the best option, but God’s justice exists, and this word should not have come out of his mouth.”
Regragui responded to these statements by telling the French newspaper L’Equipe: “Mbemba’s clarifications are dishonest and have nothing to do with what happened.”
He continued: “I did not like Mbemba’s statement, because it hints at a lot of things. If he has pictures other than those we see on television, let him show them with pleasure. He will see exactly what happened.”
He added, “What happened is that he attacked me and my assistant on the touchline, and spoke badly to us. And Desper knows that. After the end of the match, though, I went to shake his hand and said to him: But why are you talking to me in this way?” Then he was… He looks somewhere else, as if to say, ‘I will not shake your hand.’ I grabbed his hand, as shown in the pictures, and he started screaming.”
Regragui also denied Mbemba’s accusations, stressing that he did not make any racist statements once morest him.
The Moroccan national team leads Group Six with 4 points, two points behind its closest rival, the Zambian national team, while the Congo national team is in third place with two points as well, then Tanzania, which is at the bottom of the standings with one point.
Without any victory…the Arab representatives are lost in the jungles of Africa
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