Nigerian right-back, Bright Osayi-Samuel has expressed his frustration over the performance of Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea following their defeat to Morocco in a penalty shootout at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
According to him, most of the refereeing decisions went against the Super Eagles and contributed to their inability to control the game and create chances, though he did not blame the defeat entirely on officiating.
He congratulated the Atlas Lions on their qualification and wished them the best of luck in the final against Senegal.
Watch highlights of Nigeria’s penalty shootout defeat to Morocco
“One thing I would say is that the referee was appalling. Not saying that that’s the reason why we lost, but just making very, very wrong decisions, you know, and it’s really painful to see that we have refs like that in a big game like today. But I wish Morocco all the best,” he told the media.
The Birmingham City player noted that the defeat hurt him deeply, as their trophy ambitions were crushed, but said he remains proud of the team’s efforts.
He also thanked the coaching staff and other officials for their unwavering support throughout the tournament.
“Very painful to obviously lose. I think we played very well. The defense, the back four was amazing. I’m proud of the team. The manager came down and said he’s part of the team. The board members came down and said they’re proud of the team. So it’s just really painful that we lost on penalties. Penalties are all about luck. It’s a lottery, and today we didn’t win that,” he added.
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Bright Osayi-Samuel says the officiating was appalling
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