Hosts Morocco held their nerve on a tense night in Rabat, edging past Nigeria 4-2 on penalties to book a place in the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The decisive moment came when Youssef En-Nesyri calmly rolled his spot kick into the bottom-left corner, moments after goalkeeper Yassine Bounou had denied both Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi. With clear chances hard to come by all evening, a penalty shootout had felt almost inevitable long before full-time.
Morocco’s best opening arrived just before the half-hour mark, but tournament top scorer Brahim Diaz failed to make it count. Meeting Achraf Hakimi’s cross from the right, the Real Madrid forward mistimed his header, the ball glancing awkwardly off his shoulder instead.
Nigeria’s attacking threats, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, were largely starved of service. Lookman did test Bounou once in the first half with a low drive from outside the box, but the save was routine.
The win sends Walid Regragui’s side into their first Afcon final since 2004, as they chase a first continental title since lifting the trophy in 1976. Morocco will stay in Rabat to face Senegal in Sunday’s final at 19:00 GMT, after the reigning champions edged Egypt 1-0 in the other semi-final.
Morocco have now stretched their unbeaten run to 26 matches, a streak that dates back to their last-16 exit at the 2023 tournament. Still, this will be only their second Afcon final appearance in the modern era, which explains the feverish atmosphere inside the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium and across the country.
For years, Morocco’s investment in football, backed strongly by King Mohammed VI, has been part of a broader push for national pride and social change. After their historic run to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar in 2022, an Afcon title on home soil feels like the final milestone.
The stadium crackled with energy once again, much like during the quarter-final win over Cameroon. This time, though, Nigeria’s more seasoned side absorbed the early pressure and kept the hosts largely at bay.
Fulham defender Calvin Bassey stood out for the Super Eagles, producing a commanding display despite being shown a harsh yellow card midway through the first half after his hand caught Diaz in the face — a booking that would have ruled him out of the final had Nigeria progressed.
Diaz also dragged an early shot wide after cutting in from the right, while Stanley Nwabali made a solid near-post save from Ismael Saibari, who created space nicely for himself inside the box.
Opportunities became even scarcer after the break. That scarcity perhaps fuelled Morocco’s loud penalty appeals when Hakimi’s shot struck Bassey’s arm, but replays showed the ball had taken a deflection and hit his body first, making the referee’s decision — and VAR’s silence — the right call.
Morocco dominated extra time, pushing forward relentlessly, but a clear opening never arrived. In the end, it all came down to penalties — and this time, the Atlas Lions held their nerve.