A small consolation prize after a big disappointment. At the end of a match that no one seemed to want to play, Nigeria won against Egypt after a penalty shootout and concludes the 2025 African Cup of Nations in third position.
The two coaches had chosen to run this meeting with less stakes, a “losers’ match” in the semi-finals. Without Victor Osimhen, left on the bench for the entire match, Eric Chelle’s men dominated the debates for a long time without ever managing to find the fault.
Nwabali offers victory to his family
Twice, thanks to Akor Adams (36th) and Ademola Lookman (46th), Nigeria thought they had opened the score, before finally being sanctioned by the referee. The first for an unclear foul by Paul Onuachu on Rami Rabia, and the second for a slight offside position by Adams at the start of the action.
The Super Eagles then needed a penalty shootout to secure the final step of the podium. Chippa United goalkeeper in South Africa Stanley Nwabali managed to keep away the attempts of Oscar Marmoush and Mohamed Salah to give his team victory.
Finalists in the competition in Ivory Coast two years ago, the Nigerians won the bronze medal here, the seventh in its history, and will not leave this 2025 African Cup of Nations completely empty-handed. The stakes will, however, be much higher on Sunday (8 p.m.) for the final of the competition between Morocco and Senegal in Rabat.
Keep reading
