Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali emerged a hero for Nigeria as the Super Eagles secured the bronze medal at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025, following a 4–2 penalty shootout victory over Egypt in Casablanca.

The game had to be decided straight from penalties after a goalless draw in regulation time, Nwabali saving Nigeria in critical time.

Nigeria added another historic chapter to their Africa Cup of Nations story on Saturday, defeating Egypt four to two on penalties to secure third place at the TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 in Casablanca.

After ninety minutes of tightly contested football ended goalless, the Super Eagles displayed greater composure from the spot, with goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali playing a decisive role in the shootout victory.

The result reinforced Nigeria’s remarkable record in third place play offs at the continental finals. The Super Eagles have now won every bronze medal match they have contested at AFCON, a distinction no other nation has achieved.

Nigeria arrived at the play-off already renowned for their consistency in these fixtures, and the win over Egypt extended that legacy while lifting their total bronze medal count to nine, the highest in the tournament’s history.

Egypt, which had previously enjoyed success in third-place matches, were unable to overturn Nigeria’s dominance despite their own pedigree. Their challenge ended in a shootout that once again highlighted the Super Eagles’ calm execution under pressure.

Over the decades, third-place matches at the Africa Cup of Nations have often delivered unpredictability and controversy. Nigeria’s experience, however, has been marked by discipline, efficiency and an ability to secure results regardless of circumstance.

From hard-fought victories in the early 2000s, through commanding performances in 2010 and 2019, to another penalty shootout success in 2025, Nigeria have consistently ensured they finish AFCON tournaments with silverware.

The bronze medal also crowned a strong campaign for the Super Eagles, who progressed to the semi-finals with one of the most effective attacks in the competition before narrowly losing on penalties to hosts Morocco.

For Egypt, the defeat brought a disappointing conclusion to a tournament that had shown promise, particularly following their dramatic quarter-final triumph over Côte d’Ivoire. Their search for another AFCON bronze medal continues, with no third-place success since the early years of the competition.

As focus shifts to the final between Morocco and Senegal, Nigeria depart AFCON 2025 having once again underlined their status as the competition’s most reliable performers in the battle for third place.