Ace sports journalist, Austin Okon-Akpan has attributed Nigeria’s semi-final exit at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to poor officiating, insisting that the Super Eagles would have recorded a different outcome if the match had been properly handled.
Speaking during in an interview, Okon-Akpan stressed that football is as much a mental contest as it is physical, noting that the referee’s decisions played a major role in unsettling the Nigerian players.
“Whether or not we agree, football is mental. When you see a referee, because these guys are top professionals, when you see the way the referee is handling the match, there’s no way it’s not going to affect them,’’ he said.
Okon-Akpan pointed out specific moments during the game that reflected the players’ growing frustration.
“At some point, Alex Iwobi was tired of running, Calvin Bassey was complaining endlessly, and they were just wandering. Semi Ajayi, at one point, was just looking at the referee, and Victor Osimhen was trying so hard not to go and confront the referee too, but then he gets a card,” he said.
According to him, the players became overly cautious as the match progressed.
“They were all just being too careful. When you play football, it’s okay to be careful, but when you are meticulous, it affects almost everything. And that gave the Moroccans the opportunity to do their things,” Okon-Akpan explained.
While faulting the Confederation of Africa Football CAF for politics, the ace journalist said for football and sports in general in Africa to move forward, the continent must kill all forms of politics.
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Despite Morocco’s dominance in spells, he praised the Super Eagles for their resilience.
Describing penalty shootouts as unpredictable, Okon-Akpan refused to blame any Nigerian player for the loss.
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