January 26, (THEWILL) – The Royal Moroccan Football Federation has succeeded in appealing the two-match ban imposed on national team manager, Walid Regragui, at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Regragui was initially handed a four-game suspension, with two matches suspended and fined for allegedly bringing the competition into disrepute following an on-pitch altercation with Democratic Republic of Congo captain, Chancel Mbemba, after their Group F encounter on Sunday.
The incident sparked chaotic scenes with players and staff from both sides, clashing at the end of the 1-1 draw. Regragui had gone to shake Mbemba’s hand but held on while remonstrating with the defender, who tried to pull away, resulting in tensions boiling over. The appeal means Regragui will be back on the touchline to manage Morocco in their round of 16 match against South Africa on Tuesday, after being forced to watch from the stands during their final group match against Zambia.
Regragui claimed Mbemba had insulted both himself and his assistant coach before the game ended. The Moroccan FA strongly denied the initial ban, which came just months after Regragui inspired his side to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar. His presence on the bench will be a major boost to Morocco’s hopes of AFCON glory in Ivory Coast.
The overturned suspension also avoids a potential showdown with organisers after Regragui defied the ban by communicating with his backroom staff from the VIP area during the Zambia match. Morocco will be hoping the manager’s reinstatement can inspire another fairytale run in a major tournament.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
