Super Eagles defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel, has said the referee who officiated the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final between Nigeria and Morocco was “appalling”.
Daniel Laryea, a Ghanaian referee, handled the match, which the Super Eagles lost 4-2 on penalties on Wednesday.
In a chat with Victor Ademola TV after the match, Osayi-Samuel said the referee “kept making very wrong decisions” throughout the match.
The right-back, however, clarified that he was not blaming the unsatisfactory officiating for the semi-final loss.
“One thing I would say is that the referee is appalling,” the 28-year-old said.
“Not saying that is the reason why we lost. But he kept making very wrong decisions. It is really painful to see that we have referees like that in a big game like today.”
Osayi-Samuel then praised the Eagles’ defensive performance, adding that he is pleased with the team.
“It is very painful to lose. I think we played very well. The back four was amazing. I am proud of the team,” the right-back said.
“The manager came down and said he is proud of the team. The board members came down to say they are proud of the team. It is just really painful that we lost on penalties, which is a lottery.”
Nigeria will take on Egypt in the AFCON third-place match on Saturday.
