AFCON 2025: 'It was that bad' — Osimhen slams Ghanaian referee for poor officiating in Morocco defeat

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has piled on the criticism against Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea, terming his officiating of the AFCON semi-final clash between Nigeria and Morocco as nothing to write home about.

Osimhen captained the Nigerian national team for the final-four clash against hosts Morocco in Wilfred Ndidi’s absence. He and his teammates suffered the disappointment of coming so close before having it snatched away via penalty shootouts. 

The pain is made worse by the feeling of helplessness owed to Laryea’s biased officiating on the day, which was harsh on Nigerian players, regularly breaking up their momentum, while simultaneously being lenient on the hosts.

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Speaking after the game, the 27-year-old expressed regret and a sense of loss, as he believes the squad missed a big opportunity for glory. He also had words for Laryea, slamming the officiating.

“I think me and my teammates, we are all professional and, but it's disappointing; it's hurting cause then we have to wait for more year to try to, you know, qualify again for the AFCON, and try to, to prove a point,” he said, per 54 Football x.

“But I, to be honest with you, today's game was nothing to write home about in terms of the officiating; it was that bad.”

However, he made sure to congratulate the Atlas Lions for their success in the match, especially in front of nearly 70,000 Moroccan fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium.

“But I, I think, for me, I have to say. A very big congratulations to the Moroccans, and also I'm proud of my team for the kind of fight we put up against a very good quality side, and also we're playing in front of thousands of their fans.”

The Super Eagles might be out of contention for AFCON glory, but their journey in Morocco is yet to be done, as they are set to play Egypt in the third-place playoff on Saturday, January 17th.