Confrontation Between Regragui and Mbemba: Bounou Unveils DR Congo Captain's Provocations

Monday 19 February 2024 - 14:12

Morocco's AFCON campaign faced a turbulent storm as goalkeeper Yassine Bounou unveils the heated exchanges between head coach Walid Regragui and DR Congo's captain Chancel Mbemba.

Bounou reveals Mbemba's relentless verbal assaults on Regragui during their group stage encounter, casting doubts on the defender's sportsmanship. The goalkeeper also accuses Mbemba of goading his teammates to target Moroccan midfielder Azzedine Ounahi with rough tackles, despite their shared club affiliation at Marseille.

"Mbemba's behavior was disrespectful and provocative throughout the match," Bounou declares, shedding light on the underlying tensions simmering beneath the surface during the intense 1-1 draw.

Tensions boiled over at the final whistle, erupting into a dramatic confrontation between Regragui and Mbemba, extending from the sidelines to the locker rooms. Mbemba accused the Moroccan coach of racial slurs, vehemently denied by Regragui.

Conflicting reports clouded the controversial incident, exposing the geopolitical fault lines within international competitions and raising questions about fair play standards in African football's upper echelons.

Initially slapped with a four-match ban by CAF, Regragui's suspension was later overturned following a successful appeal by FRMF. Despite both teams advancing from the group, Morocco's early exit in the subsequent round shattered their AFCON title defense hopes, haunted by internal divisions.

Bounou's revelations offer a glimpse into how on-field tensions threatened to derail Morocco's campaign from the outset.