Benin assistant coach Adelakun criticises Argentina’s treatment of his players

Benin assistant coach Tunde Adelakun has criticised the treatment of his players by Argentina’s team and security personnel following a post-match encounter, describing the experience as hostile.

Adelakun said the Argentine players appeared unwilling to interact with their Benin counterparts after the match, while security officials prevented members of his squad from approaching the player they had gathered to celebrate.

“What struck me was the very obvious and blatant refusal of the Argentine team to have anything to do with my Benin team after the match,” Adelakun said.

He added that the post-match handshakes were rushed and impersonal, with attempts by Benin players to approach the individual they wanted to celebrate reportedly met with resistance from security personnel.

“Any attempt by our players to approach the man they had come to celebrate was met with rather hostile pushback from the security agents on site,” he said.

Adelakun also questioned the decision to disperse Benin players who had gathered to form a guard of honour as the individual passed by.

According to the assistant coach, someone had suggested that the Benin players line up to applaud him, but security personnel quickly broke up the group.

“The speed with which the security agents dispersed the small group of players who had gathered… It was as if my boys were gangsters in the middle of a riot!” he added.

Adelakun’s comments raise questions about the conduct of the post-match interactions and the role of security personnel in managing access between the teams.

However, further details about the match, the identity of the individual the Benin players wanted to celebrate and any response from the Argentine delegation or security officials were not provided in his statement.