Osayi-Samuel admits overreaction in Nigeria's AFCON clash with Algeria
Super Eagles right-back Bright Osayi-Samuel has opened up about his on-field confrontation with Algeria's Anis Hadj Moussa during Nigeria's 2-0 AFCON quarter-final victory on Sunday. The Birmingham City defender revealed that Hadj Moussa punched him in the face during the 68th-minute incident, which escalated into a shoving match. Senegalese referee Issa Sy intervened and issued a yellow card to the Algerian forward.
In his post-match interview, Osayi-Samuel admitted he overreacted to the punch. "I was agitated because he punched my face. He hit my face, you know, and I overreacted," he stated. The defender acknowledged that with Nigeria leading 2-0 at that moment, he should have ignored the provocation rather than escalating the confrontation.
The Nigeria Football Federation has not announced any disciplinary action against Osayi-Samuel, while the Confederation of African Football is yet to review the incident for potential retrospective sanctions. The Super Eagles will face Morocco in the semi-final clash in Rabat this weekend.