Morocco booked their place in the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday night after holding their nerve to defeat Nigeria 4–2 on penalties following a gripping 0–0 draw in Rabat.
In a tense semi-final played before a raucous home crowd at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, the Atlas Lions and the Super Eagles cancelled each other out over 120 minutes of high-intensity football, with neither side able to find a decisive breakthrough in regulation time or extra time.
Backed by a vociferous crowd that turned the stadium into a bubbling cauldron, Morocco showed greater composure when the contest was settled from the spot, converting four of their penalties to Nigeria’s two to secure passage to the final.
The match was finely balanced throughout, with both teams creating half-chances but struggling for fluency in the final third. Nigeria, seeking to return to the AFCON final for the first time since their 2013 triumph, were organised and disciplined defensively, while Morocco probed patiently, driven on by home support and their ambition to lift the continental title on home soil.
Extra time produced more urgency but little end product, as fatigue crept in and caution prevailed. Goalkeepers at both ends were rarely troubled, setting the stage for a nerve-shredding shootout.
Morocco’s penalty takers proved more clinical under pressure, while Nigeria were left to rue missed opportunities as their hopes of reaching the final slipped away.
The victory sends the Atlas Lions into the AFCON 2025 final, where they will bid to cap a memorable tournament with continental glory, while Nigeria must now regroup after another agonising near-miss at the last-four stage.