The Super Eagles of Nigeria secured their ninth Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) bronze medal on Saturday, defeating Egypt 4–2 in a tense penalty shootout after a goalless 90 minutes at the Mohammed V Stadium.
In a clash between two of the continent’s most decorated sides, Nigeria put behind a spot-kick woe against Morocco to secure the AFCON bronze to remedy their campaign.
The Super Eagles have now won all nine of the AFCON third-place playoffs they have contested, ensuring they end their Moroccan campaign on the podium.
The match began with high intensity but quickly settled into a tactical stalemate.
Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, raised eyebrows before kickoff by leaving star forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman on the bench, opting instead for Akor Adams to lead the line.
Egypt, led by captain Mohamed Salah, looked to strike early. Salah’s enterprise was evident in the 18th minute when he threaded a precise pass through the Nigerian defense, but goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali was quick off his line to smother the danger.
Nigeria responded shortly after when Akor Adams broke free, but his powerful strike was gathered by the Egyptian keeper.
As the second half progressed, fatigue from the grueling semifinal matches—where Nigeria lost to Morocco and Egypt fell to Senegal—began to show. Substitutions from both sides, including the introduction of Alex Iwobi and eventually Ademola Lookman, failed to break the deadlock in regulation time.
With the AFCON third-place rules moving straight to penalties after 90 minutes, the pressure shifted to the spot.
Nigeria’s composure proved superior. While Egypt faltered with two misses early in the shootout, the Super Eagles remained clinical. Alex Iwobi and Ramy Rabia traded successful kicks before Ademola Lookman, the hero of Nigeria’s earlier rounds, stepped up to bury the final penalty, sparking wild celebrations among the Nigerian contingent.
This means Nigeria finished the 2025/26 tournament with a bronze medal and a tournament-high 14 goals, while the footballing world now turns its eyes to Sunday’s grand final between hosts Morocco and defending champions Senegal.
The victory provides a bittersweet consolation for the Nigerian side, who entered the tournament as favorites but saw their title hopes dashed in a narrow semi-final exit earlier this week.
For Egypt, the loss marks a disappointing end to a campaign.
