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Morocco coach Walid Regragui was banned for four matches, two of which were suspended, just hours before his side’s final group match at the Africa Cup of Nations, Confederation of African Football officials said.

Regragui, who led his country to the World Cup semi-finals in 2022, had been involved in an on-field spat with Democratic Republic of Congo captain Chancel Mbemba at the end of their Group F match in San Pedro on Sunday.

The incident led to scuffles between opposing players as well as staff on the pitch and alleged fighting in the tunnel at the stadium, but out of public view.

Morocco said they were appealing the decision, which came ahead of Morocco’s showdown against Zambia in San Pedro on Wednesday.

CAF did not say what Regragui was charged with. A statement on Tuesday said only it was investigating the post-match incidents.

Regragui had gone to shake Mbemba’s hand at the end of the match but held onto it as he tried to remonstrate with the defender, who repeatedly tried to pull away before breaking loose.

That set off general mayhem at the end of a 1-1 draw.

“He insulted me and my assistant on the sidelines before the end of the match,” Regragui claimed when talking to reporters after Sunday’s match.

“And in the end, despite that, I went to shake his hand but also to ask him: ‘Why are you talking to me like that?’ Then he looked away like he didn’t want to shake my hand. I held his hand, you can see that in the images, and he started screaming in every direction.

“He claimed I had called him an idiot but I never said that. He should be a little honest with himself.”

Mbemba responded: “I’m not perfect but when I’m on the field, I respect everyone, and respect is reciprocal.”

Morocco’s football federation were quick to denounce the decision and appeal.

“Following the unfair decision taken by the Disciplinary Commission of the Confederation of African Football against the coach of the national team, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation decided to appeal this decision, which it considers to be wrong, especially since the facts have shown that Walid Regragui did not commit any behaviour contrary to sporting spirit,” it said.

The ban mean Regragui will have to sit out the Group F game against Zambia and Morocco’s last-16 match.

His assistant Rachid Ben Mahmoud, a former international, replaces Regragui on the touchline.

Source: Reuters

Tunisia national team head coach Jalel Kadri has announced his decision to quit his position live on television just minutes after their elimination from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

The 52-year-old trainer during a post-match interview with beIN Sports announced that he has resigned from his post with immediate effect.

The Carthage Eagles were held to a scoreless stalemate by South Africa in their group match in the AFCON on Wednesday night at the Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly in Korhogo.

The draw means Tunisia failed to make it to the next round of the tournament in Cote d’Ivoire as they finished at the bottom of Group E.

The Carthage Eagles lost to Namibia in their first group game before drawing 1-1 with Mali in the second and then another draw against South Africa.

Kadri follows Jean-Louis Gasset, Chris Hughton, Tom Saintfiet, and Djamel Belmadi, who have all quit their jobs after disappointing AFCON campaigns.

In January 2022, Kadri took charge during the 2021 AFCON round of 16 against Nigeria, replacing Coach Mondher Kebaier due to a Covid-19 infection.

Tunisia secured a 1–0 victory. Following their AFCON quarter-finals elimination against Burkina Faso, Kadri was named temporary coach.

He successfully guided the team to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, earning him the permanent coaching position.

However, Tunisia faced disappointment in the World Cup, failing to progress beyond the group stage, with a 0–1 defeat to Australia overshadowing their heroic 1–0 win against defending champions France.

Despite this, Kadri retained his position until January 2024.

Source:africaSoccer

Algerian Football Federation President Walid Sadi has announced the immediate departure of head coach Djamel Belmadi After an unsatisfactory AFCON campaign, footy.ghpush.com/ can disclose.

The 47-year-old strategist and the Football Federation had come to an arrangement for him to step down following their poor performance at the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire.

After three games, Algeria lost to Mauritania, a minnow, and drew with Burkina Faso and Angola, finishing bottom of their group with just two points.

In their final group game on Tuesday at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake, the Fennecs fell short 1-0 to an underdog Mauritania team.

“I met the national coach, Mr. Djamel Belmadi, to discuss the consequences of this bitter exclusion, we reached an amicable agreement to dissolve the association and break the contract that binds the coach to the Federation Algerian Football,” Sadi highlighted

“We thank coach Jamal Belmadi for everything he has done for the team, and we wish him good luck for the rest of his career.”

Having guided Algeria to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations triumph in Egypt, Belmadi has failed to record a win in the last two editions of the AFCON tournament

Jean-Louis Gasset has been sacked as coach of 2023 Africa Cup of Nations hosts Ivory Coast two days after their 4-0 defeat against Equatorial Guinea.

It was the heaviest home defeat in Ivory Coast history and they are the first Afcon host to lose two group games since they did so in 1984.

The Elephants still carry faint hopes of progressing to the last 16 as one of the best third-placed teams.

They will be led by Emerse Fae, one of Gasset’s coaches, on an interim basis.

The country’s football federation said it had “terminated the contracts” of 70-year-old Gasset and his assistant Ghislain Printant “due to insufficient results”.

Ivory Coast finished the pool stage on three points in Group A having also lost 1-0 to Nigeria following a 2-0 win against Guinea-Bissau in their opening match.

The hosts must now wait on the results of the last group games on Wednesday to see if they sneak through.

Their hopes of progressing despite their shock defeat in Abidjan were boosted when Group B ended with Ghana finishing third in the table on two points.

Former Bordeaux coach Gasset was appointed by the federation in May 2022, replacing his compatriot Patrice Beaumelle.

Beaumelle’s contract was not renewed after the Elephants missed out on 2022 World Cup qualification and exited the last Nations Cup in Cameroon.

Source: BBC