Pepe blasts Ivorian Football Federation: I suffer racist insults, my country doesn't defend me
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 27.02.26. | 17:35
The ex-Arsenal forward, who has caused a lot of controversy lately and missed the 2025 AFCON due to his problematic remarks, once again didn't mince his words
Nicolas Pepe - a fantastic football player and a man who always keeps things interesting, or better said, controversial.
His private affairs, the divorce from his longtime wife, and the alleged marriage to a pornstar are a story in themselves. However, his football-related life is as intriguing as the one off the pitch.
Namely, he was supposed to represent the Ivory Coast at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and be one of the key players of Emerse Fae's squad. Nevertheless, a few weeks before the start of the tournament, he made problematic remarks about his Elephants teammate, Alban Lafont, claiming that the custodian wasn't a real Ivorian. Consequently, he was expelled from the squad and missed the AFCON.
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Still, that wasn't the end of his "show", as he shortly after mocked Morocco and their 50-year trophyless spell. And even though his comments caused him a lot of trouble and triggered a wave of racism towards him, in an interview with the Ivorian journalist, Malick Traore, Pepe revealed he didn't regret his words.
"I asked for the footage, and when I saw the video, I gave my approval. It was without regret, because it was me, I liked it because I saw myself in it. It was 100% me."
"It was what I wanted to share with people. It was me, if I had to do it again, I would do it without hesitation," he admitted via A Bola.
🇨🇮 Nicolas Pépé speaks about his non-selection for the AFCON in Morocco on NCI: “The coach called me before his press conference. I didn’t answer. He called me twice, and I didn’t pick up.
— Olt Sports (@oltsport_) February 26, 2026
I wanted him to understand that there was no point in calling me at that moment because it… pic.twitter.com/Wu6JyknqgX
As for racism...
"I thought: 'it'll end tomorrow'. But, in the end, it lasted, escalated, and went to extremes."
So, pushed by the president of the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF), he issued an apology, unwillingly, though.
"To tell the truth, I did it reluctantly, because I receive insults and I have to apologize?", he wondered, before slamming FIF for its lack of support, or rather, the belated support they offered him.
"I suffer racist insults, I'm not going to the Africa Cup of Nations , and the federation doesn't defend me. La Liga defends you, people defend you, but your country doesn't."
"The statement came too late, the damage was already done. I would have preferred they had done it sooner. It's like they crushed you and then crushed you even more with that belated message," Pepe concluded.
As we stated in the beginning - the man who always keeps things controversial.