Morocco emerged victorious 4-2 in a penalty shootout against Nigeria, setting the stage for a confrontation between Africa’s top-ranking teams, the Atlas Lions of Morocco and Senegal’s Lions of Teranga, in the AFCON final.
The semi-final match of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 took place at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat, with Morocco edging past Nigeria after a goalless encounter that stretched through extra time. This victory has earned Morocco a chance to compete for the AFCON title against Senegal.
The match was a tense and strategic contest, resulting in minimal clear scoring opportunities for both teams. Nigeria's Super Eagles, who were unbeaten in the tournament, faced challenges from a sturdy Moroccan defense and exceptional goalkeeping from Yassine Bounou. Although backed by an enthusiastic crowd, Morocco struggled to penetrate a resilient Nigerian defense.
The competition was ultimately decided by penalties after 120 minutes of play yielded no goals. Morocco commenced the shootout, with Neil El Aynaoui successfully converting to establish an early advantage for the hosts. In response, Nigeria’s Paul Onuachu found the bottom left corner with his penalty, keeping the score level.
The dynamics of the shootout shifted as Morocco’s Hamza Igamane had his penalty saved by Nigeria's goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, and similarly, Nigeria’s Samuel Chukwueze missed his chance, ensuring neither team gained the upper hand after the second round.
Morocco took control once more as Eliesse Ben Seghir confidently converted his penalty, while Nigeria’s Fisayo Dele-Bashiru matched him, leading to a balanced 2-2 score.
As the crucial final kicks approached, Achraf Hakimi scored, putting Morocco ahead at 3-2, while Nigeria's Bruno Onyemaechi missed, ultimately sealing the win for the Moroccan side and igniting jubilation among the home fans.
The outcome of this intense match concluded Nigeria's impressive run in the tournament and propelled Morocco into their first AFCON final in decades, where they will confront a formidable opponent in Senegal. The dramatic victory not only brings Morocco one step closer to their first Africa Cup of Nations title since 1976, but it also puts Nigeria’s pursuit of glory—having last lifted the trophy in 2013—on hold as they fell just short of the final showdown.
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