AFCON: Zidane’s son under fire for Nigeria brawl

Eagles

Zinedine Zidane’s son, Luca, has come under scrutiny following his involvement in a post-match brawl after Algeria’s 2-0 defeat to Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals on Saturday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The 27-year-old Granada goalkeeper was at the centre of unsavoury scenes at full-time, clashing with Nigeria midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru as tensions boiled over following Algeria’s elimination.

What began as a heated verbal exchange quickly escalated into a shoving match, drawing in players and staff from both teams and bringing a sour end to the contest.

Luca Zidane was seen confronting Dele-Bashiru before Nigeria players intervened to pull their teammate away, while the goalkeeper also exchanged words with Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika as the situation threatened to spiral further.

The altercation overshadowed an otherwise poor performance by the Dessert Warriors, as the Super Eagles secured their semi-final place with goals from Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams and will now face hosts Morocco in the last four.

Algeria had entered the quarter-final with confidence after a flawless group stage campaign, recording victories over Sudan, Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea, before edging past DR Congo 1-0 in the round of 16.

However, Nigeria proved a step too far, limiting the North Africans’ attacking threat and asserting dominance to seal progression. Punch