Nigeria Wins AFCON Third Place
Nigeria defeated Egypt 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out to claim third place in the Africa Cup of Nations after a 0-0 draw. Ademola Lookman scored the winning penalty, following a goalless match in Casablanca. This victory marks Nigeria's eighth consecutive win in AFCON third-place matches. The Super Eagles had previously lost two shoot-outs, one against the Democratic Republic of Congo for a World Cup spot and another against Morocco in the AFCON semi-final. Nigeria made five changes to their starting lineup, with captain Moses Simon and Alex Iwobi scoring in the shoot-out. Egypt's Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush had their kicks saved by Stanley Nwabali. The win was backed by the majority of the Moroccan crowd, who showed support for Nigeria due to their rivalry with Egypt. Will this third-place finish be a turning point for the Super Eagles?