Newsletters
Morocco advanced to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Wednesday after defeating Nigeria 4-2 on penalties in front of a home crowd in Rabat.
The match had ended goalless after extra time, setting the stage for a dramatic shoot-out that was ultimately decided by Fenerbahce striker Youssef En-Nesyri, whose winning kick eliminated Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen’s Nigeria from the tournament.
Morocco's goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, emerged as the standout performer, saving penalty attempts from Nigeria’s Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi. The Moroccan team missed only once during the shootout, Hamza Igamane's effort was saved, but it proved inconsequential as the hosts sealed victory with En-Nesyri’s final kick.
The Atlas Lions will face Senegal on Sunday in a highly anticipated final between the top two African teams in the current FIFA rankings. Senegal advanced after defeating Egypt 1-0 in the other semi-final earlier on Wednesday, with a decisive goal from Sadio Mane in Tangiers.
This year’s tournament holds particular weight for Morocco, who have not lifted the AFCON trophy since 1976. Despite heavy expectations and a rocky group-stage performance, during which the team faced whistles from its own fans, the side showed poise in its quarter-final win over Cameroon and resilience against Nigeria.
Nigeria entered the semi-finals as the tournament’s top scorers with 14 goals and featured high-profile names including Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, both former winners of the African Player of the Year award.
However, the Super Eagles struggled to create opportunities in the semifinal and ultimately fell short in the shootout.
Nigeria will face Egypt in Saturday’s third-place play-off in Casablanca.
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
