During a showdown between two Saudi teams on Oct 28, 2025, Worldwide football fans couldn’t believe their eyes when former Chelsea legend N’Golo Kante, one of the most modest and soft-spoken players in the game, was seen losing his temper with the referee. This rare moment was captured during Al-Ittihad’s incredible 2-1 victory over rivals Al-Nassar in the round of 16 of the King’s Cup. 3
🚨 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚: Ngolo Kanté got angry for the first time in his career. 😂 pic.twitter.com/nmo5IzajsA
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) October 30, 2025
The incident occurred during the dying minutes after a disputed throw-in call given against the Frenchmen. Kante was trying to keep possession near the touchline, and the Al Nassar player, Al Hassan, clearly deflected the ball outside, but the referee mistakenly awarded possession to Ronaldo’s side.
Kante became enraged after that judgment, shouting, “How??..How?,” in despair since his team was down to ten men and the referee’s decisions were going against them. Spectator, teammates and even the commentators were stunned after Kante’s reaction. Reportedly, the referee realised his mistake after the outburst reversed his decision, giving the throw to Al-Ittihad.
The moment has since gone viral across social media platforms, with fans unable to believe the incident.
Here are some fan reactions:
“Kante deserves to be angry. Joao Felix was bullying him throughout the match, and the ref did nothing to it,” a fan stated.
“That is his first time”, another fan stated.
“The ref had to change his mind and give Kante the decision he wanted,” one fan posted.
“Must be an imposter,” a fan claimed.
“Has to be AI,” another jested.
Despite the heated moment, Kanté quickly regained his composure and continued to dominate the midfield as Al-Ittihad sealed a crucial win to reach the quarterfinals.
Match highlights:
Former Real Madrid Striker, Benzema, scored a brace in the first 15 minutes, which was later cancelled by a left-footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner following a fast break, assisted by Ronaldo, in the 30th minute. However, Houssem Aouar restored Al-Ittihad’s lead with a composed finish. Later, Al Ittihad’s Ahmed Al Julayden was shown a straight red for a dangerous tackle, which made the game difficult for the away team.
With strong deterioration till the final minutes, Sérgio Conceição’s Al-Ittihad neutralised Cristiano Ronaldo and defeated Jorge Jesus’ team in a decisive victory.
