Heartbreak for Super Eagles as Morocco Win on Penalties to Reach AFCON Final
Nigeria’s quest for a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title came to a painful halt on Wednesday night after the Super Eagles lost 4–2 on penalties to hosts Morocco in a tense semi-final clash at the 2025 AFCON.
The highly anticipated encounter ended goalless after 90 minutes, with both sides cancelling each other out in a tightly contested affair. Extra time offered little relief, as neither Nigeria nor Morocco managed to find the breakthrough, forcing the game to be decided from the penalty spot.
In the shootout, the Atlas Lions held their nerve, converting all their spot-kicks. For Nigeria, Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemachi were unfortunate to miss, handing the hosts the edge and a place in the final.
Despite Nigeria’s disciplined defensive display and moments of promise going forward, the Super Eagles struggled to create clear-cut chances and failed to make the most of the few opportunities that came their way. Morocco, backed by a passionate home crowd, also found it difficult to break Nigeria down but showed greater composure when it mattered most.
Morocco will now face Senegal in Sunday’s final, setting up a mouth-watering clash between two of Africa’s strongest footballing nations. Nigeria, meanwhile, will turn their attention to the third-place playoff against Egypt.
Opinion: A Brave Effort, But Lessons to Be Learned
While the defeat will sting, especially coming via penalties, the Super Eagles can take pride in their resilience and unbeaten run up to this stage. However, the match also highlighted an area that needs urgent attention: creativity and clinical finishing in big games. At this level, dominance in spells is not enough; chances must be converted.
Penalties are often described as a lottery, but they also reward composure and preparation. On this occasion, Morocco simply did better. For Nigeria, the focus now should be on finishing the tournament strongly against Egypt and building on the positives ahead of future competitions.
Though the dream of lifting the trophy is over, the Super Eagles have once again shown that they belong among Africa’s elite—and with a few adjustments, their time will surely come again.
