ZINEDINE ZIDANE’S son was at the heart of a mass brawl following Nigeria’s Afcon win over Algeria.
Victor Osimhen and Co set up a semi-final showdown against hosts Morocco on Wednesday with a 2-0 win in Marrakesh.
Galatasaray star Osimhen opened the scoring and set up Nigeria’s second for Akor Adams as he bounced back from a blow-up at teammates in the Afcon quarter-final win over Mozambique.
But things turned ugly at the final whistle when Luca Zidane, Algeria’s goalkeeper, clashed with Nigeria ace Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
Players and staff from both sides were on the pitch when the trouble began.
Things had threatened to boil over throughout a tense knockout game.
ROO MUCH TO HANDLE
Rooney in tears live on BBC after brother masterminds huge FA Cup upset
DOUBLE
Win a VW Campervan + a Tiguan plus £10k or £75,000 alternative from just 30p
And they came to a head when Granada goalie Zidane, the son of France legend Zinedine, and Lazio midfielder Dele-Bashiru exchanged heated words in the centre circle.
The pair clearly irked each other as the verbal exchange quickly escalated.
They began shoving each other angrily in ugly scenes, prompting a quick response from teammates.
Several Nigeria players rushed in to stop Zidane, who also argued with Brugge’s Raphael Onyedika, while dragging Dele-Bashiru from the scene.
BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS
Staff from both sides also charged over, with several unable to resist the temptation to wind things up with more physical contact.
Fans were quick to react to the chaos, which eventually calmed down as cool heads prevailed.
One said: “Damn, what a disgrace.”
Another declared: “Too much frustration in this match, they let themselves get overwhelmed by their emotions.”
One noted: “Luca Zidane taking after his father there.”
Another added: “Didn’t like that fight at the end there.”
Speaking after the game, Osimhen hailed Nigeria’s efforts to reach the last four as they became the tournament’s top scorers with 14 goals.
Osimhen said: “A very big congratulations to the whole team for the kind of performance they put in against a very good Algeria team.
“For me I just did my job. I tried to fight for the team and to get goals or assists, but the whole squad deserves praise.”
Manager Eric Chelle added his side would not be intimidated by a semi-final showdown against hosts Morocco.
Chelle, who will be without ex-Leicester star Wilfred Ndidi through suspension, added: “Morocco are a great side. It’s not easy when you are the host country because there is a lot of pressure.
“All I hope is that it is a great game between two great teams, and that the best team wins.”
Nigeria and Morocco play at 8pm GMT on Wednesday after the other semi-final between Senegal and Egypt, which starts at 5pm GMT.
Senegal booked their spot in the final four with a 1-0 win against Mali.
As for Egypt, they knocked out holders Ivory Coast in a thrilling 3-2 win thanks to goals from Liverpool’s Mo Salah and Man City’s Omar Marmoush.
The winners of the semis will meet on Sunday in a mouthwatering showdown kicking off at 7pm GMT.