Belgium has issued an apology following the circulation of a video on their social media platforms featuring Amadou Onana suggesting he would confront France captain Kylian Mbappe during their upcoming European Championship last 16 match. The teams are scheduled to play on Monday in Dusseldorf at 17:00 BST.
In the video, comedian Pablo Andres sings, “Who will handle Mbappe’s shin?” Onana, a 22-year-old midfielder for Everton, responds with, “Amadou Onana.” The Royal Belgian Football Association has since removed the video.
Stefan van Loock, a spokesperson for Belgium’s media, apologized during the team’s daily news briefing on Saturday, acknowledging that the video was meant to be humorous but has been removed following the negative reception it received on French social media and subsequent widespread media coverage.