Nigeria’s Super Eagles claimed third place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after defeating Egypt 4-2 in a penalty shootout on Saturday evening at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca.
The playoff ended 0-0 after regulation time, with neither side able to find a breakthrough. The match was eventually decided from the spot, where goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali emerged as the hero, stopping penalties from Mohamed Salah and Oumar Marmoush to hand Nigeria the bronze medal.
Interim coach made several changes to his lineup, leaving stars Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman on the bench at kick-off. Nwabali started in goal behind a backline of Bright Osayi-Samuel, Igoh Ogbu, Semi Ajayi and Bruno Onyemaechi. In midfield, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru partnered Raphael Onyedika, while Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze provided width in support of Paul Onuachu and Akor Adams.
Nigeria started on the front foot and went close in the 13th minute when Adams forced a deflection that resulted in a corner. However, both teams soon settled into a tight, cautious battle with few clear openings.
The Eagles thought they had taken the lead in the 36th minute when Adams headed home, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR check that spotted a foul by Onuachu in the buildup. He was subsequently booked.
At halftime, Lookman replaced Onuachu, and the Atalanta forward quickly made an impact by scoring shortly after the restart, only for the effort to be chalked off for offside.
As the second half progressed, Alex Iwobi came on for Osayi-Samuel in search of creativity, but chances remained limited, and the game moved straight to penalties.
Dele-Bashiru missed Nigeria’s first attempt, but Nwabali immediately restored parity by saving Salah’s kick. Adams then converted, and Nwabali struck again by denying Marmoush. Moses Simon and Iwobi both scored confidently before Egypt’s Mahmud Sabir kept the contest alive. Lookman stepped up to take Nigeria’s final kick and calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to seal the win.
Nigeria had dropped into the third-place match after losing a dramatic semi-final to hosts Morocco on penalties, while Egypt were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Senegal.
The Super Eagles topped Group C with wins over Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda, before eliminating Mozambique and Algeria in the knockout rounds. Egypt advanced from Group B and knocked out Benin and Ivory Coast before their exit.
Saturday’s victory continued Nigeria’s strong record in AFCON third-place matches and provided some consolation after falling short of a place in the final.
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