Morocco’s Aguerd Defends Coach Regragui Against Racism Allegations After CAN Match

"Yesterday (Sunday), after the match, I unfortunately noticed that things have somewhat degenerated on social networks, and even in some media. Scuffles are quite normal during a football match," writes Nayef Aguerd in a story on his Instagram account, before defending the coach of the Moroccan national team, Walid Regragui. "Accusing the coach of things that absolutely do not correspond to his values deeply saddens me," deplores the Moroccan central defender of West Ham. "Sometimes silence is also a mistake, because there is today a misunderstanding that has led to these events. It would be up to everyone not to leave room for complex problems."

In a vague statement to the press, the captain of the DRC team accuses the Moroccan coach of having made racist insults against him. "I respect the coach who is a great man. Television has cut the videos, but I have them. I don’t need to throw them. I keep my silence, it’s better, I’m like that. Everyone knows me, I respect everyone, I don’t need to pull someone but God’s justice is there. When I play football 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," said Chancel Mbemba. Accusations rejected by Walid Regragui.

"I told Desabre (coach of the DRC team, editor’s note): ’Bring him back to me, he’s going crazy, he’s talking nonsense.’ I didn’t like that, because he’s insinuating a lot of things. So if he has images other than those we see on television, let him bring them out, with pleasure. And he’ll see exactly what happened. And that’s what happened... Before I went to shake his hand, he took us to task, me and my assistant, on the touchline before the end of the match, he spoke badly to us. And Desabre knows it. And in the end, despite that, I went to shake his hand to tell him too: ’But why are you talking to me like that?’ And there, he looks elsewhere, like ’I’m not shaking your hand.’ I held his hand, you can see it in the images, and he started yelling in all directions," explained the Moroccan technician to L’Équipe.

To read: Morocco Coach Regragui Expresses Remorse Over Post-Match Brawl with DR Congo

For its part, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided to open an investigation into the incident.