Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali was the star for Nigeria as the Super Eagles defeated Egypt 4–2 on penalties to claim the bronze medal at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Casablanca. The third-place playoff ended 0–0 after regulation time, forcing a penalty shootout to determine the winner.
Nigeria showed great resilience, bouncing back from their semi-final loss to hosts Morocco to finish the tournament on the podium.
Nwabali was decisive in the shootout, saving penalties from Egypt captain Mohamed Salah and forward Omar Marmoush. Although Fisayo Dele-Bashiru missed an early attempt, Nwabali’s heroics shifted momentum in Nigeria’s favor.
Akor Adams, Moses Simon, Alex Iwobi, and Ademola Lookman calmly converted their penalties to secure the victory. During regulation time, both teams had few clear chances, with Salah nearly breaking the deadlock twice, only to be denied by Nwabali.
Nigeria also had two goals disallowed—Adams’ header and Lookman’s early second-half effort—following VAR and offside decisions. With the shootout triumph, Nigeria celebrates a record ninth AFCON bronze, while Egypt narrowly missed out.
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