Egypt loses the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations bronze medal to Nigeria on penalties
The curtain fell on the participation of the Egyptian national team in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco, with the team occupying fourth place after a dramatic loss to its Nigerian counterpart on penalties with a score of (4-2), after the original time of the match ended in a goalless draw in the third and fourth place match that was held on Saturday evening.
Match details and VAR intervention
The match was fiercely contested between the two African giants, with young goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir shining in defense of his goal, making several crucial saves against the Super Eagles. The most notable moment of the first half was the disallowed goal for Nigeria. Shobeir initially saved Samuel Chukwueze's shot, but the rebound fell back to Chukwueze, who sent in a cross that Adams headed towards goal. The ball then deflected off his teammate Paul Onuachu and into the net. However, VAR intervened, ruling that Onuachu had fouled Hamdi Fathi at the start of the attack, leading the referee to disallow the goal.
Penalty shootout drama and the shock of the stars
With the score still 0-0, the two teams resorted to penalty kicks, which proved disastrous for the Egyptian national team. The penalty shootout was a shock to Egyptian fans after the team's two star strikers, Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, missed their spot kicks, giving Nigeria the decisive advantage to claim the bronze medal and leaving the Pharaohs in fourth place.
The history of the conflict between the pharaohs and the eagles
This match adds a new chapter to the history of classic encounters between Egypt and Nigeria. Both teams are among the most decorated and frequent semi-finalists in the tournament's history; Egypt holds the record for the most titles, while Nigeria is known as the "Bronze Queen" and has reached the semi-finals more often than any other nation. This loss deepens the wounds of the Pharaohs, who had hoped to return with at least a medal from Morocco, especially given the strong home support and high expectations that preceded the tournament.
The impact of the result and the focus on the final
Finishing fourth was a disappointing result for Egyptian football fans, potentially opening the door to technical discussions about the team's future and preparations for upcoming competitions and the World Cup qualifiers. In contrast, Nigeria managed to compensate for their failure to reach the final by securing an honorable medal.
Today (Sunday), the eyes of football fans will be on the highly anticipated final match between the host nation, Morocco, and their Senegalese counterparts, at 10:00 PM Mecca time, officially bringing the curtain down on the exciting 2025 edition.
