Ghana star Andre Ayew had issues with referee Bakary Gassama following his side's 1-0 defeat to Egypt on Wednesday night in their final Group D match.
The West Ham United player said "refereeing should have been better" after the match.
A superb free kick from AS Roma star Mohamed Salah in the first half, however, meant the Ghanaians were relegated to second spot – as they set up a last-eight clash with Group C winners DR Congo on Sunday.
"Refereeing should have been better towards us," Ayew told BeIN Sports channel after the game, without elaborating further.
"We were dominant for long spells especially in the second half. Egypt didn't create many clear-cut chances apart from the free-kick goal."
Group D winners Egypt will now face North African rivals Morocco for a place in the semis when both sides clash at Stade de Port-Gentil on Sunday night.