* But the players showed a strong mental response and fought for every ball. Losing on penalties is very painful
* As Morocco through to first AfCON final in 21 years while Sadio Mané is the hero when Senegal edged Egypt
* From the start, we did it together. We avoided making individual errors or committing unnecessary fouls—Mané
Maravi Express
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou emerged the hero as hosts Morocco booked their place in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) 2025 for the first time in 21 years, edging Nigeria 4-2 on penalties after a goalless semi-final last night in Rabat — a loss that Nigeria coach Eric Chelle described as very painful loss.
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“The match was never easy, but the players showed a strong mental response and fought for every ball,” Chelle said after the match. “Losing on penalties is very painful. It’s difficult because we worked hard throughout the entire tournament, but that’s football.
“We played this match with high pressing, because if you don’t press, you leave spaces and the situation becomes very complicated. From a technical point of view, we were not at the same level we showed in other matches.
“I don’t want to say the reason was fatigue, but the truth is that we lacked movement and power,” conceded the Mali national.
Eric Chelle
After 90 minutes and extra time failed to separate the sides, the contest was settled from the penalty spot, where Bounou rose to the occasion in front of a packed Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah.
The Morocco goalkeeper underlined his status as one of the continent’s finest, producing decisive saves to deny Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi and propel the Atlas Lions one step closer to continental glory.
Neil El Aynaoui and Paul Onuachu converted the opening penalties for their respective sides, before Nigeria appeared to gain the upper hand when Stanley Nwabali saved Hamza Igamane’s effort.
That advantage, however, was swiftly erased as Bounou read Chukwueze’s kick to perfection, restoring parity. Eliesse Ben Seghir and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru kept their nerve in the next round, before captain Achraf Hakimi stepped up confidently to put Morocco 3-2 ahead with the penultimate kick.
Bounou then delivered the defining moment of the shootout, stretching out a strong hand to repel Onyemaechi’s attempt. With the stadium holding its breath, Youssef En-Nesyri stepped up and calmly dispatched the decisive penalty, sending the Rabat crowd into raptures and sealing a historic night for the hosts.
The victory came as a huge release of pressure for Morocco, who have carried the weight of expectation throughout the tournament as hosts and coach Walid Regragui thanked the fans’ support, saying: We received very touching messages, and they had a big impact on us.
“I thank our players — we are very proud of them — and I also thank the Moroccan fans who truly deserve this achievement. We suffered a lot, and reaching the Africa Cup of Nations final on home soil is a beautiful gift.
“Now we must think about physical recovery quickly because we made a huge effort. We played extra time, the match was difficult, and it consumed a lot of energy.”
The semi-final itself was an absorbing, finely balanced affair. Both teams showed intent from the outset, trading early opportunities in an open first half — with leading scorer Brahim Diaz coming closest for Morocco with a curling effort that drifted narrowly wide, while Nwabali reacted sharply to deny Ismail Saibari.
At the other end, Ademola Lookman tested Bounou with a low drive from the edge of the area. Nigeria’s talisman Victor Osimhen was tightly marshalled throughout, with Morocco’s defence acutely aware of the danger any lapse in concentration could pose.
After the break, Morocco gradually took greater control, pushing higher up the pitch. Calvin Bassey was immense at the heart of Nigeria’s defence, using his strength and composure to withstand sustained pressure from the hosts.
Morocco’s best chance of the second half fell to Abde Ezzalzouli, whose curling strike from inside the box was expertly turned away by Nwabali and as fatigue set in during extra time and the stakes rose, caution prevailed, with both sides opting for a safety-first approach.
With no breakthrough forthcoming after 120 minutes, penalties were required — and it was Bounou’s night to shine, as Morocco marched on to a long-awaited AfCON final.
Mané the hero as Senegal edge Egypt
At the Grand Stade of Tangier, the first half was tense, as expected as Egypt sat deep in a low block and waited for Senegal, who struggled to put together their attacking moves.
The only real chance came in the 19th minute, when Nicolas Jackson fired a shot from the edge of the box, but his effort sailed over the crossbar, briefly lifting the crowd.
A notable moment of the first half was the injury-forced exit of Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly in the 23rd and earlier, he had received a yellow card that will rule him out of the final.
At halftime, Senegal and Egypt were still level. Both coaching staffs made their first changes at the start of the second half — Habib Diarra making way for Lamine Camara for Senegal, while Trezeguet came on for Ahmed Fatouh for Egypt.
On the pitch, the pattern remained the same — Senegal dominated possession and pressed forward, while Egypt continued to defend resolutely. Eventually, the Pharaohs paid the price for a brief lapse in concentration.
In the 78th minute, Sadio Mané struck from the edge of the penalty area, placing the ball just inside the post beyond El Shenawy. The goal finally spurred Senegal Egypt to push forward and left spaces at the back.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan threw on his remaining attacking options late in the game, but Senegal held firm. The Pharaohs registered their first shot on target in stoppage time (90+5’), that was comfortably saved by Edouard Mendy.
With this narrow but valuable victory, the Lions of Teranga book their place in the final — their third final in the last four editions since 2019 — and coach Pape Thiaw conceded that “it was not easy against a good side like Egypt”.
“My players were determined to win the match and their determination showed on the pitch. I pay tribute to Egypt as they played well and gave us a very good match. Now we will focus on preparing for the final and will apply ourselves to it.”
Sadio Mane, who was voted Man of the Match said: “From the start, we did it together — we avoided making individual errors or committing unnecessary fouls. I think we managed the game well from start to finish and, overall, we deserved to win.
“We have to be honest about the final and I think all the teams are amazing. We’ll see, and we’ll try to be ready for the final, above all to give our best.”
Egypt coach, Hossam Hassan, who was working towards winning the AfCON time as a player and coach, said: “I am really proud of my players who really displayed good character against a tough opponent.
“I have just told my players that I am proud of them because they defended the Egyptian flag and the Egyptian people with apt of courage. Senegal played very well and I can’t take anything away from them as they played well today.”—Reporting by CAFonline; edited by Maravi Express
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