Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) captain Chancel Mbemba was subjected to a torrent of racist abuse on social media after leading his team to a 1-1 draw against Morocco in the FIFA World Cup Africa of Nations on Sunday.
Mbemba ‘s Instagram account has been targeted by many users who responded to his latest posts with monkey or gorilla emojis or wrote racist comments.
The Olympique de Marseille player had a heated exchange with Moroccan coach Walid Regragui after the match. This led to a melee between players and officials from both teams, which continued off the field and into the players’ tunnel.
Regragui looked for Mbemba after the match while the player was on his knees. Mbemba took Regragui’s hand and patted him on the back, seeming to think it was a friendly exchange. But Regragui kept Mbemba’s hand and continued speaking. The player angrily removed his hand and gestured towards the video referee before players from both sides intervened.
Mbemba suggested to journalists after the match in San Pedro that Regragui had insulted him. “I keep silent, it’s better. Everyone knows me, I respect everyone… but I never thought I would hear these words from the coach’s mouth,” Mbemba said.
There was no immediate reaction from Regragui.
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