VIDEO. Atmosphere of chaos! Luca Zidane brawls with Onyedika as Algeria players attack the referees
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
The Algeria national team fell to Nigeria in the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations and exited the tournament. After the final whistle, tempers on the pitch and in the stands reached a boiling point, erupting into confrontations between players.
The tension peaked in a dramatic post-match scene. Algeria's goalkeeper, Luca Zidane, got into a heated altercation with Nigeria's Raphael Onyedika, grabbing him by the shirt. Onyedika pushed Zidane in response, and the situation nearly escalated into a full-scale brawl. Players and staff from both sides needed several minutes to defuse the conflict.
Remarkably, the situation escalated to such a degree that the referee team had to be escorted off the pitch under security protection, as they were attacked by Algeria's players.
The stands were no less turbulent: Algerian fans, seething with frustration, attempted to storm closer to the pitch but were held back by security forces.
As a reminder, Nigeria will face Morocco in the semifinals. The match is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14, in Rabat.
