Morocco defeats Nigeria in AFCON 2025 semifinal on penalties, ending the Super Eagles’ campaign despite strong defensive display
Nigeria’s AFCON campaign came to an end on Wednesday after Morocco defeated the Super Eagles in a tense semifinal decided by penalties.
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Despite a promising tournament run, Nigeria were unable to overcome another obstacle, with star players Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman struggling to make a decisive impact on the match.
The Super Eagles’ defence remained resolute throughout the 90 minutes, with Calvin Bassey delivering a standout performance at the back.
However, costly misses in the penalty shootout by goalkeeper Francis Onyemaechi and forward Samuel Chukwueze ultimately proved decisive.
Nigeria had shown moments of promise in open play but were unable to convert opportunities, while Morocco held firm and capitalised on the Super Eagles’ errors from the spot.
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The result denies Nigeria a place in Sunday’s final, ending a campaign that showed strong defensive discipline but lacked cutting edge in attack.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
