By our man in Casablanca
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO — The iconic Stade Mohammed V became a “Little Lagos” on Saturday night as Nigeria’s Super Eagles soared to their ninth AFCON bronze medal, breaking Egyptian hearts in a nerve-shredding 4-2 penalty shootout.
In a stadium usually draped in the green of local giants Raja Casablanca, it was the green of Nigeria that sparked a carnival atmosphere.
Over 45,000 fans packed into the legendary Moroccan cauldron, and while the North African “home” advantage was expected for Egypt, the Casablanca crowd turned traitor. Fired up by a fierce regional rivalry, the locals whistled every Egyptian touch, transforming the venue into a hostile fortress for Mo Salah and his men.
Spot-Kick Special
After 90 minutes of high-octane but goalless football—where VAR cruelly denied Nigeria’s Akor Adams a first-half opener—the match hurtled toward the “lottery” of penalties.
While Nigeria’s opener from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru was saved, the Super Eagles found a hero in Stanley Nwabali.
The big man between the sticks produced two staggering saves, denying both Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush with lightning reflexes.
Captain Moses Simon, Akor Adams, and Alex Iwobi all kept their cool, leaving Ademola Lookman to smash home the winner and spark wild celebrations on the Casablanca turf.
The Stade Mohammed V has seen some historic nights, but few as loud as this. Despite the “third-place” tag, the atmosphere was anything but secondary.
The Moroccan fans’ decision to back the Eagles proved the “12th man” Nigeria needed to maintain their 100% record in AFCON bronze-medal matches. For Egypt, it was a night of misery in the Maghreb.
For Nigeria, it was a podium finish that proved, even when they aren’t in the final, the Super Eagles remain the kings of the North African stage.
