Nwabali’s penalty heroics seal bronze for Super Eagles in AFCON thriller
Abdullateef Fowewe
Nigeria’s Super Eagles clinched third place at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Egypt in the third-place playoff, thanks to goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali’s stunning saves.
The match at the Ibn Battouta Stadium ended 0-0 after 90 minutes and extra time, with both sides squandering chances.
Nigeria thought they had broken the deadlock once, but VAR disallowed a goal, forcing the contest to penalties.
Nwabali emerged as the undisputed hero, denying Egypt stars Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush from the spot.
Ademola Lookman coolly converted the decisive kick to spark wild celebrations among the Nigerian camp.
