Super Eagles defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel, has expressed disappointment following Nigeria’s penalty shootout defeat to hosts Morocco in the semi-final of the Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday.
Nigeria were eliminated after losing 4–2 on penalties following a goalless draw after extra time at the semi-final stage of the tournament.
Speaking after the match, Osayi-Samuel described the defeat as painful but commended the team’s performance and resilience against the tournament hosts.
“It’s painful. Of course, we wanted to get to the final, but I’m proud of the team. We took them to penalties, with all odds against us. We tried and pushed,” he said.
He revealed that Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, praised the players for their effort despite the loss, describing the team as a united family.
“He was very proud of us. You could see that we pushed. Obviously, we’re disappointed because we wanted to bring this home for our fans, but we look forward now,” Osayi-Samuel added.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s overall performance at the tournament, the defender praised the team’s tactical growth and style of play under Chelle.
“We played well. The style of play was phenomenal. In the second half, we controlled the game and had Morocco on the back foot in their own stadium. We’re a work in progress, and that’s down to the manager,” he said.
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Osayi-Samuel also expressed confidence in the team’s ability to recover quickly ahead of the third-place playoff against Egypt, noting the experience within the squad.
“There are a lot of experienced players who know how to bounce back after big disappointments. Today is painful, but we have to recover quickly because we still have a game to fight for third place,” he said.
In a separate interview, the defender criticised the officiating during the match, describing the referee’s performance as poor, though he insisted it was not the reason for Nigeria’s defeat.
Nigeria will face Egypt in the third-place playoff on Saturday as they seek to end their AFCON campaign with a bronze medal.