Morocco bench jubilates after beating Nigeria to qualify for the final
Morocco booked their place in the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after edging past Nigeria in a dramatic penalty shootout victory at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Wednesday night.
The semifinal encounter ended goalless after 120 minutes of intense football, with both sides locked in a physical and tightly contested battle that highlighted their defensive discipline and tactical awareness.
Morocco enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and carried greater attacking threat throughout the match, registering six attempts on goal compared to Nigeria’s solitary effort. Despite their dominance, the Atlas Lions were unable to break down a resilient Nigerian defence during regulation time and extra time.
With neither side able to find a winner, the contest was settled from the penalty spot. Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou proved decisive, producing crucial saves to deny Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi tilting the shootout in his side’s favour.
Morocco’s penalty takers showed remarkable composure, with Neil El Aynaoui, Eliesse Ben Seghir, Achraf Hakimi and Youssef En-Nesyri all converting confidently to seal a 4–2 shootout win.
The victory sets up a mouth-watering final clash against defending champions Senegal, who secured their place in the showpiece with a narrow 1–0 win over Egypt in the other semifinal.
The AFCON final is scheduled for Sunday, January 18, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, with kickoff set for 19:00 GMT.