Super Eagles bag N3.7bn for AFCON 2025 bronze medal

Abdullateef Fowewe

Nigeria’s Super Eagles clinched a hard-fought bronze medal at the AFCON 2025 tournament, defeating Egypt 4-2 in a tense penalty shootout to secure a $2.5 million prize—equivalent to over N3.7 billion at current exchange rates.

The victory in the third-place playoff capped an impressive run for the three-time African champions, who navigated the expanded 24-team competition hosted by Morocco.

Organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), this edition featured six groups of four teams, with the top two from each group and the four best third-placed sides advancing to the knockout rounds starting from the last 16.

CAF’s landmark prize pool overhaul, announced in December 2025, injected over $50 million into the tournament—more than double previous totals—to elevate African football’s global standing.

Even group-stage exits earned $700,000 per team, ensuring broad financial support for development.

Senegal lifted the trophy after edging hosts Morocco in the final, pocketing the top prize boosted 43% from the prior edition’s $7 million.

Morocco took silver with $4 million as runners-up, while Egypt settled for fourth and $1.3 million after the shootout loss.

Quarter-finalists each received $800,000.