Nigeria secured third place at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations by defeating Egypt 4-2 in a penalty shootout at Casablanca’s Mohammed V Stadium. The match proceeded to penalties after a goalless draw in regular time. Nigeria’s goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali saved crucial shots from Egyptian players Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, leading to Ademola Lookman’s winning kick for the Super Eagles.
Nigeria maintained a perfect record in third-place AFCON matches, having won seven previous playoff games. The intense match saw Fisayo Dele-Bashiru missing Nigeria’s first kick, followed by successful conversions from Akor Adams, captain Moses Simon, and Alex Iwobi. Premier League stars Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush had their penalty attempts saved by Nwabali before Ramy Rabia and Mahmoud Saber scored for Egypt.
Both teams made significant changes to their lineups from the semifinals. Egypt introduced six new players, while Nigeria made five alterations. Despite a goalless first half, Nigeria’s Paul Onuachu had a disallowed goal due to a VAR decision. The match continued with high intensity in the second half, with Nigeria displaying strong attacking prowess.
The final between Senegal and host Morocco will take place at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Sunday.
