Following their quarter-final defeat to Nigeria at the African Cup of Nations, Algerian players Luca Zidane and Rafik Belghali were both banned from their respective matches for their roles in ugly scenes.
AFCON 2025: Osimhen, Bassey, and Lookman Make the CAF Best XI (FULL LIST), READ ALSO.
The Algerian football federation (FAF), which was fined $100, 000 for improper conduct by players, officials, and supporters, announced the news on Wednesday.
In order to qualify for the 2027 tournament, goalkeeper Zidane and defender Belghali will serve their suspensions.
The FAF announced that it would file an appeal to challenge the sanctions.
With the score at 0-0, Algeria was denied a penalty before Victor Osimhen’s and Akor Adams’ second-half goals, which gave them a 2-0 victory.
After the final whistle, both players and staff engaged in a fight.
The FAF claimed that the fines included penalties for fans attempting to invade the pitch and displaying banknotes at match officials.
Following a dominant victory over Algeria at the Grand Stade de Marrakech, the Super Eagles advanced to the semi-finals.
Before the quarter-final, Nigeria’s relentless pressure and tactful second-half performance put an end to the Desert Foxes, who had previously conceded just one goal throughout the competition.
With a charming outside-of-the-boot pass from Alex Iwobi, Osimhen selflessly squared the ball across goal, and Adams calmly rounded Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane before slotting into an empty net.
Despite making a number of changes in the second half, including the introduction of Baghdad Bounedjah, Algeria struggled to impose itself and struggled to score a single shot on target throughout the match.
The Eagles, however, defeated Egypt in the semi-final to claim third place.
In the continental showpiece, Nigeria placed ninth overall and third overall.
Source: Channels TV
Leave a Reply