Osayi-Samuel: AFCON Semi-Final Exit Painful, but I’m Proud of the Super Eagles

 

Super Eagles defender Bright Osayi-Samuel has voiced his disappointment following Nigeria’s penalty shootout defeat to Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final on Wednesday, describing the exit as deeply painful while maintaining pride in his team’s resilience against the tournament hosts.

Nigeria’s campaign to reach the AFCON final ended in heartbreak at a Moroccan stadium, where the Super Eagles fell 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw that stretched through regulation time and extra time. The result denied Nigeria a place in the final and extended the country’s wait for a fourth continental title, having last won the trophy in 2013.

Speaking to Super Sports Football immediately after the match, Osayi-Samuel acknowledged the collective ambition within the squad to progress further in the competition but emphasised his admiration for the team’s fighting spirit in difficult circumstances.

“It’s painful. Of course, we wanted to get to the final, but I’m proud of the team, we took them to the penalties,” the defender said. “All odds against us, but we tried, we pushed, and I wish Morocco all the best.”

The Fenerbahce defender revealed that head coach Eric Chelle had already addressed the squad with words of encouragement and solidarity, underlining the unity that had characterised Nigeria’s tournament run.

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“He was proud of us, very proud of us. You know, we’re a family, and you can see that we pushed,” Osayi-Samuel said. “Obviously disappointed because we wanted to bring this back home for our fans, and so many people supporting us and it’s painful. But yeah, look forward to the next game now.”

Despite the elimination, Osayi-Samuel offered a positive assessment of the Super Eagles’ overall performance throughout the tournament, praising the tactical approach implemented by Chelle and the team’s ability to control matches against formidable opposition.

“We played well. You know, I think the style of play, the way we played was phenomenal, you know, controlling teams. Second half, we controlled the game,” he explained. “We had Morocco on the back foot at their stadium. So you can see that we’re a work in progress, and that’s all due to the manager. Like I said, it’s painful that we couldn’t get to the final, but I’m proud of the team.”

The defender’s comments reflect a broader sentiment within Nigerian football circles that the team had shown significant improvement under Chelle’s management, particularly in terms of tactical organisation and control of possession. The fact that Nigeria pushed the host nation to penalties and dominated periods of the second half has been viewed by some observers as evidence of progress, even if the ultimate result fell short of expectations.

Attention now turns to Saturday’s third-place play-off against Egypt, a match that will determine whether Nigeria finishes the tournament with a bronze medal. Osayi-Samuel expressed confidence that the squad possessed sufficient experience to recover quickly from the semi-final disappointment.

“I mean, there’s a lot of players with experience who have lost in big games, and they’ve had to bounce back. So I think there are a lot of players in the team who have the experience of having to bounce back in one or two days. I don’t think that will really affect us,” he said.

“Of course, today will be painful, but we have to bounce back very quickly because we still have the game to obviously try and come third. And Egypt are a good team. So yeah, I think we have the experience to get back up as soon as possible.”

However, in a separate interview with AdemolaVictorTv, Osayi-Samuel did not hold back his criticism of the match officiating, though he stopped short of blaming the referee for Nigeria’s elimination.

“One thing I would say is that the referee is appalling. Not saying that is the reason why we lost, but he kept making very wrong decisions,” he stated. “It is really painful to see that we have referees like that in a big game like today.”

Complaints about officiating have been a recurring theme in African football tournaments, with several nations voicing concerns over refereeing standards during major competitions. While Osayi-Samuel’s remarks were measured, they reflect frustration within the Nigerian camp over certain decisions made during the crucial semi-final encounter.

The Super Eagles entered the tournament with high expectations, having assembled a squad featuring players from top European leagues. Nigeria’s previous AFCON triumph came in 2013 when the team defeated Burkina Faso in the final, and the country has been seeking to add to its three continental titles since then.

The semi-final loss to Morocco continues a pattern of near-misses for Nigeria in recent editions of the competition. The Super Eagles finished third in 2019 after losing their semi-final to Algeria, and were eliminated in the round of 16 in 2021.

Morocco, meanwhile, advanced to the final riding a wave of home support and strong performances throughout the tournament. The Atlas Lions have been buoyed by their impressive showing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where they became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of football’s biggest tournament.

For Nigeria, Saturday’s third-place match against Egypt presents an opportunity to salvage some pride from the campaign and secure a podium finish. Egypt, who were also eliminated in the semi-finals, will bring their own sense of disappointment to the encounter, having won the AFCON title a record seven times but struggled to replicate that success in recent years.