Zinedine Zidane’s son at centre of mass brawl as AFCON clash descends into chaos

Luca Zidane was at the heart of a mass brawl as Algeria lost 2-0 to Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Victor Osimhen scored as Nigeria booked their place in the semi-finals against Morocco on Wednesday.

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The Galatasaray striker opened the scoring in the second half before Akor Adams doubled their lead.

Tensions boiled over between the two teams at full-time as a heated exchange broke out.

Zinedine Zidane’s son, Granada goalkeeper Luca, was at the centre of things as he clashed with Lazio’s Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.

The pair were involved in a shoving match in the centre-circle with players and staff all involved in the chaotic scenes.

Algeria star Zidane was quickly separated from the Nigeria midfielder, who was dragged away from the scene by his teammate.

Why does Luca Zidane play for Algeria?

He was born in France to Zinedine Zidane and professional dancer Veronique Fernandez.

He represented France at youth level, but also qualified to play for Algeria through his paternal grandparents.

Zidane was selected to play at AFCON having made his debut for them in 2025.

The 27-year-old was also eligible to play for Spain through his mother.

Nigeria into AFCON semi-final

Nigeria overcame a chaotic build-up to book their place in the final four.

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Osimhen had a row with Ademola Lookman earlier in the tournament, while a dispute over bonus payments also broke out.

On Tuesday, players issued an ultimatum to the country’s football federation to pay them or face a boycott.

This was resolved in time for the match.

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: “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.”