Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign came to a painful end on Wednesday night as the Super Eagles lost 4–2 on penalties to hosts Morocco in a gripping semi-final in Rabat, BSNSports.com.ng reports.
After 120 minutes of tense, scoreless football, the contest was settled from the spot, where Morocco held their nerve to reach the final in front of a vocal home crowd. A CAF match report described the encounter as “a battle of patience and discipline,” with neither side able to break the deadlock in open play.
Morocco dominated possession for long periods, probing for openings, while Nigeria remained compact and dangerous on the counter. Goalkeepers Yassine Bono and Stanley Nwabali were central figures, making crucial saves that kept the tie alive through regulation time and extra time.
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The Atlas Lions came closest to scoring when Nayef Aguerd’s header crashed against the crossbar, while Nwabali denied substitute Igamane with a sharp save as pressure mounted. At the other end, Victor Osimhen was largely contained by the Moroccan defence and was withdrawn late as both teams braced for penalties.
Nigeria briefly took the initiative in the shootout when Nwabali saved Morocco’s second kick, but missed attempts by Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi swung the momentum back to the hosts. Bono’s decisive saves proved telling as Youssef En-Nesyri converted the final penalty to seal victory.
Morocco will now face Senegal in the AFCON 2025 final after the Teranga Lions edged Egypt 1–0 in the first semi-final. Nigeria, meanwhile, will regroup for the third-place playoff against Egypt, reflecting on a resilient run that ended in penalty heartbreak.