Super Falcons coach Randy Waldrum decided not to speak so much about officiating in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) semi-final between Nigeria and Morocco.
Defending champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria, fell to the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco (5-4) on penalties on Monday night at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat after playing a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Nigeria, who were chasing a tenth crown, felt hard done by after seeing two players sent off in the second half after VAR reviews including their best-attacking star Rasheedat Ajibade.
After the semi-final loss, the coach of the Nigerian women's team Waldrum chose to be diplomatic in his comments about the officiating of the game.
Randy simply said: “We (Coaches) can’t comment on officiating, we will get into trouble,” with a smile on his face.
The American tactician instead chose to focus on what his team did well, stating that the Super Falcons were on top of the game till after their players were sent off.
“We were in control of the game until after the first red card, then the second red card, I will put it this way,” Waldrum said.
While he decided not to talk about the officiating, the American was proud of the Super Falcons' effort after they played most of the second half with only nine players on the pitch to Morocco's 11 players.
The Super Falcons coach said: “I am proud of the girls tonight. We wanted to win the game, not just the World Cup ticket.
“Our substitutions were spot on and we can’t ask for more from the players, they gave their best.”
The Super Falcons' semi-final loss to Morocco sees them miss out on the WAFCON final for the first time since 2012, bringing an end to their bid for a fourth consecutive African title.
Nigeria will now face Zambia in the third-place match on Friday, July 22 to determine who takes the bronze medal at the 2022 WAFCON.
This article was most recently revised and updated 2 years ago
