Nigeria Clinches AFCON ’25 Bronze by Overcoming Egypt in Penalty Shootout

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have triumphed in the bronze medal match of AFCON ’25, defeating Egypt with a score of 4-2 in a penalty shootout.

Ademola Lookman successfully converted the final penalty, while goalkeeper Nwabali played a crucial role by making two important saves during the shootout.

After both teams faced defeats in their respective semi-final encounters, they opted for changes in their lineups. For Nigeria, notable players such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Alex Iwobi were absent from the starting eleven.

Nigeria initially looked poised to score through a combination involving Akor Adams and Paul Onuachu, yet the goal was ruled out after a VAR review indicated that Onuachu had committed a foul against an Egyptian defender prior to scoring.

The incident also resulted in a yellow card for the 6ft striker, and both teams entered halftime without scoring.

The second half mirrored the first, with both sides displaying significant effort but lacking in finishing touch. Nigeria came closest to scoring with a weak shot from Raphael Onyedika from outside the box.

As the match concluded without a winner, the teams proceeded to the penalty shootout. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru had his opening penalty saved, but Nwabali quickly redeemed himself with vital saves against Mohamed Salah and Omar Mammoush. Nigeria successfully converted their remaining four penalties, with Lookman calmly sealing the victory by scoring the final kick, offering Nigeria some comfort after their loss in the semi-finals via the same method.

This victory marks Nigeria's first success in a penalty shootout from three attempts, and it also secures their record-extending ninth bronze medal at AFCON.