The Super Eagles of Nigeria successfully secured a third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, triumphing over Egypt in a dramatic penalty shootout at the Mohamed V Stadium. This victory came after Nigeria's semifinal loss to hosts Morocco, and Egypt's defeat to Senegal, setting the stage for a bronze-medal decider.

Both teams opted for strategic squad rotations, resting several key players. Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle began with star players like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Ndidi on the bench, while Egypt's Hossam Hassan similarly benched Omar Marmoush and Mohamed El Shenawy. This decision notably impacted the game's quality, leading to a largely cagey affair with neither side matching their previous performances in the tournament. Nigeria saw two goals disallowed after VAR reviews, and despite efforts, the match ultimately concluded goalless, heading straight into a penalty shootout.

In the tense shootout, Chelle's squad demonstrated composure, converting four of their kicks, while the Pharaohs managed only two. This clinical finish secured the bronze medal for the Super Eagles, marking a significant achievement for the team.

Soccernet.ng provided detailed player ratings for Nigeria's performance on the night:

• Stanley Nwabali (8.5/10): Undeniably the man of the match, Nwabali was pivotal. While he faced only one goal attempt in normal time, his presence as a sweeper-keeper was crucial. In the penalty shootout, he was phenomenal, saving two attempts against Egypt's prominent players, Marmoush and Salah, showcasing his top-notch goalkeeping skills. His reliability in penalty shootouts has been consistent, saving at least one penalty in all four competitive shootouts he's been involved in since January 2024.
• Semi Ajayi (8/10): Despite initial concerns about the defense in Calvin Bassey's absence, Ajayi delivered an awesome performance. He was flawless, ruthless, and proved to be a dependable asset for Coach Chelle.
• Igoh Ogbu (7.5/10): Ogbu put in a solid shift, partnering effectively with Ajayi and ensuring nothing bypassed the defense, earning him a commendable outing.
• Bright Osayi-Samuel (7.3/10): Osayi-Samuel had another good game defensively, making it difficult for the Egyptians on his flank. His recovery was brilliant even when caught out of position. However, his attacking contributions were lacking, with poor decisions in the final third and a failure to deliver dangerous crosses. His AFCON campaign regrettably ended in the 65th minute due to an injury, highlighting his importance given Ryan Alebiosu's absence, with Raphael Onyedika stepping in as a makeshift right-back.
• Bruno Onyemaechi (7.3/10): Onyemaechi performed well defensively but struggled in attack. His crosses were disappointing, and his partnership with Moses Simon lacked effectiveness.
• Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (6.9/10): Earning a rare start, Dele-Bashiru was decent, showing positivity, decent passing, and an impressive work rate by tracking back defensively. However, he failed to create meaningful attacking opportunities and was the only Nigerian player to miss his penalty in the shootout.
• Raphael Onyedika (7.3/10): Bouncing back from a disappointing showing against Morocco, Onyedika delivered a much-improved performance. He had a firm grip on the game, dictated play well, and provided good passing.
• Samuel Chukwueze (6.3/10): Chukwueze had a disappointing outing. While contributing defensively, he failed in his primary role of creating chances and troubling the Egyptian backline, lacking incision and killer instinct.
• Moses Simon (6.3/10): Similar to Chukwueze, Simon was disappointing in attack. He struggled to beat markers and delivered poor balls into the area, though he converted his penalty in the shootout.
• Akor Adams (6.3/10): Adams exhibited hard work but struggled to fulfill his goal-scoring duties, largely due to a lack of service. He also displayed loose touches in the final third and difficulty connecting with teammates, but successfully converted his penalty.
• Paul Onuachu (6/10): Onuachu had a largely anonymous showing, despite being inadvertently involved in a wrongly disallowed Nigerian goal.
• Alex Iwobi (6.3/10): Introduced in the 65th minute, Iwobi's arrival helped free up the midfield. He played several line-breaking passes, but the Super Eagles attackers couldn't capitalize. He confidently converted his spot kick in the shootout.
• Ademola Lookman (6.3/10): Coming on at halftime, Lookman initially boosted the team's final third efforts. However, he was eventually stifled by the game, at times holding onto the ball excessively when crowded by Egyptian players. He also scored his penalty in the shootout.

Key takeaways from Nigeria's victory against Egypt include:

• Stanley Nwabali's Penalty Heroics: Nwabali solidified his reputation as a penalty shootout specialist, denying both Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush from twelve yards, underscoring his crucial role in high-pressure situations.
• Improved Penalty Composure: The Super Eagles demonstrated a calmer demeanor in the shootout compared to their previous encounter against Morocco. Despite Dele-Bashiru's miss, Akor Adams, Moses Simon, Alex Iwobi, and Ademola Lookman all converted their spot kicks, reflecting a successful effort to address their prior weaknesses.
• Continued Struggle with Finishing: Nigeria created four good chances that could have been converted, but the finishing on display was often lacking, aside from Paul Onuachu's disallowed goal.
• Bright Osayi-Samuel's Injury: The injury to Osayi-Samuel in the 65th minute was a significant blow. Having played six of Nigeria's seven tournament games, he was a standout performer, and his absence highlighted the team's reliance on him, with Raphael Onyedika having to fill in at right-back.
• Ninth AFCON Bronze Medal: This victory marked Nigeria's ninth bronze medal at the AFCON, maintaining their perfect record in third-place playoffs. This medal provided some solace after their World Cup qualification failure and was a first AFCON medal for Coach Eric Chelle and his staff.