South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, harshly criticised the comments made by Nigeria’s head coach Eric Chelle after the match against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He accused Chelle of bringing the game into disrepute and said that Nigeria should be punished.
During the penalty shootout in Nigeria’s defeat to DR Congo, Chelle had reacted angrily and later claimed that his outburst was due to a DR Congo official performing a voodoo ritual after one of the penalties.
However, regardless of the circumstances, McKenzie expressed his disapproval of Chelle’s behaviour through social media, stating:
“This is totally unacceptable behaviour… we will be looking very closely at this matter… This is football, not UFC.”
However, South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture does not have the authority to sanction Eric Chelle. Any potential punishment—if it happens—will be determined by CAF officials.