Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali starred as Nigeria defeated Egypt 4–2 on penalties to win the bronze medal at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Casablanca.
The third-place playoff ended goalless after regulation time, forcing an immediate penalty shootout to decide the encounter.
The Super Eagles showed resilience, bouncing back from their semi-final loss to hosts, Morocco, to finish the tournament on the podium.
Nwabali proved decisive in the shootout, saving penalties from Egypt captain Mohamed Salah and forward Omar Marmoush.
Nigeria initially faltered when Fisayo Dele-Bashiru missed, but Nwabali’s double save swung momentum in Nigeria’s favour.
Akor Adams, Moses Simon, Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman converted calmly to seal the victory.
Regulation time was tightly contested, with few clear chances created by either side.
Egypt came close through Salah, but Nwabali reacted sharply to deny him on two occasions.
Nigeria had two goals ruled out, including Adams’ header and Lookman’s early second-half effort, following VAR and offside decisions.
With no breakthrough after 90 minutes, penalties decided the contest, handing Nigeria bronze and renewed confidence, while Egypt narrowly missed out.
Source: NAN
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