AFCON 2025: Super Eagles Clinch Bronze After Beating Egypt on Penalties
By Israel Adeleke
The Super Eagles of Nigeria secure the bronze medal at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after edging Egypt 4–2 on penalties, days after suffering a semi-final heartbreak against hosts Morocco.
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the third-place playoff ended goalless after regulation time, forcing a penalty shootout in which Nigeria emerged victorious, thanks to decisive saves from goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali and a composed winning kick from Ademola Lookman.
Both Nigeria and Egypt, having lost their respective semi-final encounters, made several changes to their starting line-ups.
For the Super Eagles, key stars Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi were left out of the initial XI, as the technical crew opted to rotate the squad.
Nigeria thought they had taken the lead in the first half through a combination of Akor Adams and Paul Onuachu, but celebrations were cut short following a VAR review.
The replay showed Onuachu elbowing an Egyptian defender before slotting the ball home, leading to the goal being disallowed.
The towering striker was also booked for the infringement as both sides went into halftime deadlocked.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with both teams showing intent and industry but lacking the cutting edge in the final third.
Nigeria came closest to breaking the deadlock when Raphael Onyedika fired a low effort from outside the box, though the attempt failed to trouble the Egyptian goalkeeper.
With neither side able to find a breakthrough before the final whistle, the encounter was decided from the penalty spot. Nigeria’s Fisayo Dele-Bashiru saw his opening kick saved, handing Egypt an early advantage.
However, Nwabali turned the tide with two crucial saves, denying Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush to swing momentum back in Nigeria’s favour.
The Super Eagles converted their remaining four penalties, with Lookman calmly dispatching the decisive kick to seal the win and provide consolation after their semi-final loss, which had also come via a penalty shootout.
The victory marks Nigeria’s first successful penalty shootout in three attempts at the tournament and secures a record-extending ninth AFCON bronze medal, reaffirming the Super Eagles’ enduring pedigree on the continental stage.
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