Sports Correspondent

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) captain Chancel Mbemba found himself entangled in a heated exchange with Morocco coach Walid Regragui following a recent match.

The confrontation escalated into a melee involving players and officials from both teams, continuing as they exited the field and descended the players’ tunnel.

Addressing the incident, Mbemba, maintaining his composure, remarked to reporters, “I respect the coach who is a great man. The TV cut the videos, but I have them. I don’t need to swing them. I keep my silence; it’s better, that’s how I am. Everyone knows me, I respect everyone, I don’t need to shoot anyone but God’s justice is there.”

Regragui, shedding light on the altercation, explained to French outlet L’Equipe, “I said to Desabre [DRC’s coach]: ‘Bring him back to me; he’s going crazy, he’s talking nonsense. I didn’t like it because it insinuates a lot of things.”

He continued, “And at the end, despite that, I’m going to shake his hand and say, ‘Why are you talking to me like that?’ And then he looks away, like ‘I’m not shaking your hand.’ I held his hand, you can see it on the pictures, and he started screaming all over the place.”

Regragui concluded by expressing his dismay at the implied racism in Mbemba’s words, emphasizing the need for honesty and understanding in such situations.