The Atlas Lions of Morocco have defeated the Super Eagles of Nigeria on penalties to reach the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Both teams failed to score in over 120 minutes in the bubbling cauldron of Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat and had to be separated by a nervy penalty shootout.
Ahead of the match, Victor Osimhen dismissed the intimidating atmosphere that the Moroccan home crowd could create with their presence at the stadium. The striker said his teammates consistently played in more high-wire, tenser conditions.
But when he and his colleagues were trapped inside the heaving, seething and singing red walls of the Moroccan fans, they became jittery.
The lethal front three of Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Akor Adams, which had produced the majority of Nigeria’s 14 goals in the competition, went blunt. The deafening whistles of home fans muffled out Alex Iwobi’s symphony of ideas and passes to his teammates. The stadium’s hostile vibrations disrupted the entire Nigerian team’s wavelength.
The absence of captain Wilfred Ndidi, who was suspended, was felt as his replacement Raphael Onyedika struggled and Frank Onyeka worn himself ragged as he handled multiple roles to attempt to mitigate the midfield deficiency.
Although Lookman had the first shot on target, the team only managed one more in over two hours of football. Stanley Nwabali was called to action several times while Yaccine Bono, the Moroccan goalkeeper, remained a spectator.
It was a frustrating night for Eric Chelle and his boys, who had produced a spellbinding performance in successive matches in the tournament. The team also felt that Ghana’s Daniel Nii Ayi Laryea’s officiating was a bit skewed against them, especially on little, harmless yet momentum-altering calls.
Despite a small foothold in the game, Nigeria held on until the penalty shootout: a familiar foe that only a few months ago cost the team the 2026 World Cup ticket.
However, when Nwabali saved Hamza Igamane’s kick, Nigeria looked to have exorcised the demon and were set to snatch an upset. Samuel Chukwueze and Onyemaechi soon found their penalties thwarted by Bono, and Youssef En-Nesyri scored the decisive penalty.
Nigeria’s attempt to win a fourth AFCON trophy halted by a host nation once again. Cote d’Ivoire defeated the Eagles in the final of the previous AFCON in Abidjan.
Morocco will play Senegal in the final on Sunday, while Nigeria will take on Egypt in the third-place match on Saturday.
