MOROCCO 0 NIGERIA 0
(Morocco win 4-2 on penalties)
By Our Man in Rabat
The Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium became a cauldron of North African noise last night as host nation Morocco broke Nigerian hearts to book their place in the AFCON final.
In a venue that felt more like a gladiator’s arena than a football pitch, the Atlas Lions survived 120 minutes of tactical chess before clinching a 4-2 victory in a nerve-shredding penalty shootout.
From three hours before kick-off, the streets of Rabat were a sea of red. Inside the 45,000-capacity stadium, the noise was deafening, with flares illuminating the night sky every time Morocco crossed the halfway line.
The “Rabat Roar” clearly took its toll on the Super Eagles, who struggled to find their usual attacking rhythm in the face of such a hostile, partisan crowd.
On the pitch, it was a war of attrition. Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen was marked out of the game by a disciplined Moroccan backline, while at the other end, Stanley Nwabali produced two world-class saves to keep the hosts at bay.
As the rain began to slick the Rabat turf in extra time, the tension reached a breaking point.
Morocco’s Nayef Aguerd rattled the crossbar with a header that nearly brought the house down, but the deadlock remained stubbornly unbroken.
When it came to the spot-picks, the pressure of the venue finally told. With the home fans whistling every Nigerian approach, the Eagles faltered.
Yassine Bounou was the hero, saving two tame efforts from Chukwueze and Onyemaechi.
Youssef En-Nesyri slammed home the decisive kick to spark scenes of absolute pandemonium in the stands.
Nigeria will now head to the third-place playoff, while Morocco stays in Rabat to face Senegal in Sunday’s final, looking to claim their first title in 50 years on home soil.
