MC Alger supporters reportedly attempted to reach the team’s dressing room after their side’s 2-0 defeat by Enugu Rangers in Nigeria, with the home club submitting a formal complaint to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The incidents took place at the MKO-Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta after Sunday’s African Champions League play-off first leg. Several hundred “Chnaoua”, the nickname for MC Alger’s supporters, had travelled to Nigeria to back the Algerian club.

According to several Nigerian media outlets, some fans turned their frustration on MC Alger’s facilities and staff after the final whistle. They are reported to have surrounded the tunnel leading to the dressing rooms and confronted head coach Khaled Ben Yahia.

Security personnel intervened to protect and escort the Tunisian manager away from the area. Some supporters reportedly told him not to return to Algiers, while a member of his staff was also allegedly assaulted.

The anger was heightened by the fact that Enugu Rangers had played much of the match with 10 men. MC Alger conceded twice in the space of three minutes late in the game and must now overturn a two-goal deficit in the second leg to reach the group stage.

Enugu Rangers request investigation

Enugu Rangers says the trouble extended beyond the confrontation involving the MC Alger staff. In its complaint to CAF, the Nigerian club accused visiting supporters of forcing open a stadium door, entering without paying admission and damaging several seats.

The club said it had supplied the continental governing body with photographs and videos of the alleged incidents.

Enugu Rangers is seeking an investigation, compensation for lost ticket revenue and security guarantees ahead of the return match in Algiers. Nigerian media reports that the club has also asked CAF to consider ordering the second leg to be played behind closed doors.

The frustration felt by the Chnaoua does not justify the reported behaviour, which could ultimately harm MC Alger as they prepare to rely on home support to overturn the result. The Algerian club therefore faces the possibility of sporting and financial consequences arising from the actions of some of its fans.

The disorder comes during an already difficult period for the club. MC Alger have won three successive Algerian league titles but have struggled to reproduce that domestic dominance in continental competition.

They reached the quarter-finals in 2025 before exiting during the group stage in 2026. They are now at risk of being eliminated before reaching the main phase of this season’s competition, in contrast to USM Alger, who won the CAF Confederation Cup in 2023.

Supporter dissatisfaction had already grown during the summer transfer window and contributed to the departure of Hakim Hadj Redjem. He had previously been involved in significant tensions with fans over the Youcef Belaili situation in 2024.

Mohamed Arabi Yaakoubi replaced him as president, while Amer Mensoul and Faycal Badji joined the club’s new sporting structure. The changes have yet to restore calm, leaving the second leg to provide both a response on the pitch and a test of whether the institutional and supporter crisis can be contained.