Nigeria defender Bright Osayi-Samuel criticised the officiating after the Super Eagles were eliminated from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) by hosts Morocco.
Osayi-Samuel was the only Nigeria player to speak to the media in the mixed zone after the semi-final, which ended goalless after extra time before Morocco won 4–2 on penalties to reach the final.
“One thing I would say is that the referee was appalling, not saying that’s the reason why we lost, but just making very, very wrong decisions. It’s really painful to see that we have refs like that in a big game like today” Osayi-Samuel said.
Osayi-samuel. Photo Credit: Justina Aniefiok
The match itself was a tense and closely fought contest, with few clear chances across 120 minutes. Nigeria defended resolutely, restricting Morocco for long spells and forcing the game into extra time, before the tie was eventually decided from the penalty spot.
Despite the disappointment, Osayi-Samuel said he was proud of Nigeria’s overall performance, particularly at the back.
“Painful, very painful to obviously lose, i think we played very well. Defence was, the back four was amazing. I’m proud of the team” he said.
Nigeria were handed early hope in the shoot-out when Morocco missed their second penalty penalty, but misses from the Super Eagles ( Chukwueze and Bruno) allowed the hosts to regain control and progress to the final.
READ MORE:morocco-beat-nigeria-on-penalties-to-reach-afcon-final
Osayi-Samuel described penalties as a matter of fortune rather than preparation.
“Penalty is all about luck. It’s a lottery,” he said. “And today we didn’t win that.”
Photo Credit: Imago
He also revealed that senior figures within the Nigeria camp shared the same assessment of the team’s effort.
“The manager came down and said he’s proud of the team. The board members came down and said they’re proud of the team,” Osayi-Samuel added.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE ATHLETIC NG WHATSAPP CHANNEL NOW!
The defender ended by offering goodwill to the hosts, who will now face Senegal in the final. “But I wish Morocco all the best,” he said
