The Super Eagles secured the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations bronze medal on Saturday, defeating Egypt 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca. Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali replicated his knockout-stage heroics by denying superstars Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush from the spot.
This victory cements Nigeria’s legacy as the most successful nation in AFCON third-place history, marking their ninth podium finish and maintaining an unblemished record in the fixture.
Coach Eric Chelle rotated his squad for the encounter, placing stars Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman on the bench. Nigeria controlled the early tempo, nearly breaking the deadlock through Akor Adams in the 13th minute. The Eagles appeared to have scored later in the half when Adams headed home, but a VAR review invalidated the goal after finding that Paul Onuachu had elbowed an Egyptian defender during the build-up. Onuachu received a yellow card for the incident as both teams headed into the interval level.
The second half saw intensified pressure from Nigeria as Lookman and Alex Iwobi entered the fray. Lookman quickly found the net, but the assistant referee correctly flagged for offside, keeping the game in a tactical stalemate. As regulation time expired without a goal, the contest moved directly to a shootout. Despite an initial miss by Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Nwabali’s back-to-back saves turned the tide. Successful conversions from Akor Adams, Moses Simon, and Alex Iwobi set the stage for Lookman, who buried the final penalty to secure the medal.
The Pharaohs, who fell to Senegal in the semifinals, finish the tournament in fourth place. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s path to bronze included top-tier performances in Group C and knockout victories over Mozambique and Algeria. Although the Super Eagles narrowly missed a final berth after their shootout loss to Morocco, Saturday’s triumph ensures they leave the tournament with silverware and their historical dominance in the bronze-medal match intact.
