A sensational goalkeeping by Stanley Nwabali has ignited the Super Eagles of Nigeria to a third place finish at the Morocco 2025 African Cup of Nations following a penalty shootout win over the Pharoahs of Egypt.
Nigeria secured a 4-2 win in the shootouts after a 0-0 full time and extra time result, Nwabali, who was declared as the Player of the Match award winner, saving two spot kicks from Liverpool’s Mohammed Salah and Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush.
After falling to beat Morocco, also from penalty shootouts in the semi-final, this time around, the Green Jerseyed boys were sharp as they outclassed the Pharaohs to extend their position as the country to have won more bronze medals since the inception of the competition.
Although the Super Eagles missed their first penalty at the game on Saturday, they were precise in the subsequent ones, which was complemented by their goalkeeper’s talismanic trademark penalty performance.
Lazio’s Dele Bashiru, who scored kick against Algeria missed the opening kick but his blushes were immediately spared after Salah, in sequence, also missed his kick.
Next was Akor Adams who had his goal ruled out in regulation time. The Sevilla man became the first to score a penalty in the game after burying his kick beyond Egyptian goalkeeper, Mostafa Shobeir. That downed the Egyptians but it was compounded after Marmoush saw his kick not gone in, putting Nigeria in the cushion.
The west Africans continued to be more clinical at the Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca as Moses Simon converted Nigeria’s third before Ramy Rabia also scored for his side.
After Alex Iwobi scored the fourth, it became clear that Mahmoud Saber must score or the Super Eagles would win the encounter. Under pressure, Saber hit the net but the situation remained unchanged an Ademola Lookman scoring Nigeria’s fifth would ensure the Super Eagles claim Bronze medal.
With pressure on the Atalanta talisman, he stood calm close to the ball on the penalty mark,. waiting for the referee’s whistle and hit a ferocious strike in the net roof sending the opposition goalkeeper the wrong way.
The Nigerian players, who had a goal chalked off for offside by match referee, Jamal Jayed, after consulting the VAR, took the pitch for celebration alongside team officials. The minimal celebration was understandable, or perhaps, expected, as the side alongside the soccer loving fans would have loved to get the gold made trophy due to their disappointing world cup qualifiers as well as finishing second at the last AFCON.
Truly, a three-time win of the competition is meagre for a country like Nigeria but more are to come, and the Super Eagles can add up to their numbers.
