Follow Us on Google
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has praised the Super Eagles for reaching the semi-finals of the ongoing 35th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, describing the team’s campaign as one marked by commitment, discipline, passion and resilience.
Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the final ended on Wednesday night after a tense semi-final encounter finished goalless following 120 minutes of regulation and extra time. The match was eventually decided by a penalty shootout, which Morocco won 4–2 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Reacting to the outcome, NFF President and President of WAFU B, Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON), urged the players to put the disappointment behind them and focus on securing the bronze medal when they face Egypt in Casablanca on Saturday.
Gusau said the team performed creditably despite the narrow defeat, noting that penalty shootouts are unpredictable. He recalled that Nigeria had benefitted from penalties at the same stage of the competition two years ago, stressing that this time the outcome simply went the other way.
“The NFF is proud of the output of the team at this championship,” Gusau said. “They gave their best and remain the highest-scoring team in the tournament. We will continue to motivate them to lift their spirits and ensure they finish strongly by going for the bronze medal.”
Meanwhile, billionaire industrialist and philanthropist, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu, GCON, Chairman of BUA Group, commended the Super Eagles for their fighting spirit and confirmed that he would honour his pledge of a $500,000 reward to the players and officials despite the semi-final loss.
Rabiu praised the team’s courage, unity and determination, saying they had made Nigerians proud with their performance and effort throughout the competition.
As part of preparations for the third-place match, the Super Eagles departed Rabat for Casablanca on Thursday afternoon. The team was scheduled to hold an evening training session open to the media, while Friday’s official training session will allow media access for the opening 15 minutes.
In a related development, fixtures and host details for the 14th Women Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2026, have been released. The tournament will be staged in Rabat, Casablanca and Fès, with Nigeria heading Group C alongside Zambia, Egypt and Malawi. All four semi-finalists at the competition will qualify automatically for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
