Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen on Sunday said his team did not deserve to lose against Tunisia in their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 game because the officiating wasn’t fair.
Nigeria crashed out of the AFCON on Sunday in Garoua, Cameroon after a 0-1 loss to Tunisia.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Eguavoen blamed bad officiating for his team’s ouster from the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.
He said: “We tried to come back after the Tunisia goal, and we chased the game. But then we got a red card.
“It was clear that the officiating wasn’t fair,” the coach said.
He said he had told the players to put the loss behind and ask them to face the next 2022 FIFA World Cup African Zone playoffs in March against Ghana.
He said; ”I have told the players to pick up and ensure they qualify Nigeria for the World Cup,”
He however pointed out that it was always very difficult when you play against a tactical side like Tunisia, especially when the officiating was not fair.
“I won’t criticise the referee because they are masters of the game, but Alex Iwobi’s red card wasn’t fair. The foul wasn’t an intentional one,” the coach added.