Morocco beat Nigeria on penalties to reach Africa Cup of Nations final
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou emerged as the star by making two crucial saves during the penalty shoot-out, helping hosts Morocco secure a 4-2 victory over Nigeria and earn a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal this weekend, following a gripping semi-final that ended goalless after extra time on Wednesday.
Bounou denied Samuel Chukwueze and made an outstanding stop against Bruno Onyemaechi, paving the way for Youssef En-Nesyri to score the decisive penalty and ignite ecstatic celebrations at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Hamza Igamane experienced both delight and relief after his attempt, Morocco's second in the shoot-out, was stopped by Nigeria's goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
He remained the sole Moroccan unable to find the net in the penalties, yet captain and key figure Achraf Hakimi was among those who successfully converted theirs.
Morocco now faces Senegal on Sunday for the championship, after the Lions of Teranga overcame Mohamed Salah's Egypt 1-0 in the earlier semi-final in Tangiers, courtesy of a Sadio Mane strike.
This matchup pits the two highest-ranked African teams in the FIFA world standings against each other, creating an ideal spectacle for the competition.
Under Walid Regragui, Morocco faces immense expectations to claim their nation's first AFCON trophy in 50 years, but they enter with optimism bolstered by home backing.
While Morocco's aspirations endure, Nigeria's campaign concludes in heartbreak, just two years after falling to the hosts in the Ivory Coast final.
Guided by recent African player of the year winners Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, Nigeria had arguably shone brightest in the tournament until the semis, leading the scoring charts with 14 goals across their initial five games.
Yet they generated scant opportunities over the 120 minutes and now prepare for Saturday's third-place match against Egypt in Casablanca, before observing the World Cup from the sidelines after missing qualification.
Home advantage
Concerns over the Moroccan squad's capacity to cope with home pressure had faded after their 2-0 quarter-final triumph against Cameroon.
They aimed to leverage the 65,458 spectators in the capital to demonstrate their 11th global ranking, surpassing teams like Italy.
The 2022 World Cup semi-finalists had faced boos from their own supporters during the group stage, but here those fans, having cheered Nigeria's anthem, countered every Super Eagles possession phase with resounding boos.
An intense start featured Moroccan winger Brahim Diaz, likely the competition's top performer, curling an effort narrowly wide, while Alex Iwobi set up Lookman at the opposite end for a shot comfortably held.
Morocco generated openings, such as a Hakimi free-kick striking the side netting and an Ismael Saibari attempt brilliantly parried by Nwabali.
The second half grew more cautious with slimmer chances, as Moroccan supporters vociferously but unsuccessfully demanded a spot-kick when the ball deflected from Calvin Bassey's leg to his arm inside the area.
Time expired in regular play, and the penalty prospect loomed as extra time progressed without breakthroughs.
Nigeria, barely threatening in open play, appeared content to force a shoot-out, even substituting Osimhen in hopes of mirroring their 2024 semi-final penalty success over South Africa.
Nevertheless, Regragui's Morocco, who had previously triumphed on penalties versus Spain in the prior World Cup, replicated the feat to advance to their Cup of Nations final.