CAN 2023: eliminated with Algeria, Djamel Belmadi accuses the president of the Mauritanian Federation

At a press conference after the rout of Algeria, eliminated in the group stages of CAN 2023, Djamel Belmadi drew against the arbitration which he considers biased. The Fennecs coach also made serious accusations against the president of the Mauritanian Football Federation.

The bitter elimination of Algeria from CAN 2023, the second consecutively and in the first round, goes very badly in the Fennecs camp. And even more so from Djamel Belmadi, the coach of the Algerian team. Facing the press on Tuesday evening, in the wake of his team’s defeat against Mauritania (0-1), counting for the last day of group D, the 47-year-old technician violently charged the refereeing and believes that the decisions favored one side over the other.

The winner of CAN 2019 also attacked the president of the Mauritanian Football Federation, Ahmed Ould Yahya. 2nd vice-president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and present at the VIP stand at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, the leader would have gone to the edge of the pitch to put pressure on the referees on several occasions, the coach insinuated Algerian.

“ It is certain that on our side, VAR did not work. This is an observation. This perhaps does not explain everything, but… (…) Now if you want to be blind… I, on the other hand, saw something on the ground”Belmadi said, before detailing his accusations.

“ The line belongs to the referees, the 4th referee and the coaches. When I see the president of the federation who comes throughout the match to harangue the referee and I explain to everyone ‘do you realize what he is doing?’ and everyone dodges me and pretends not to understand one after the other… I explained that to everyone: on the pitch, outside, on the way home, behind the scenes. Where have we seen, in world football, a manager come down and speak with the touchline referees? And they act as if nothing happened. This is unbearable, what do you want me to tell you? », asserted the coach.

An outing which will certainly make CAF and the Mauritanian Federation react. Sanctions could even be applied against Djamel Belmadi for his comments. The technician Adel Amrouche did not say so much against Morocco that he was suspended 8 matches by the governing body of African football before being removed from his position as coach by Tanzania.