The Moroccan national team has written a new chapter in its football history, securing a place in the Africa Cup of Nations final for the second time, and the first time in 22 years, after a hard-fought and thrilling 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Nigeria. The match, a semi-final held Wednesday evening at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, ended in a goalless draw after extra time, with a record crowd of over 65,000 spectators in attendance.
With this victory, the Atlas Lions have broken one of the longest-standing curses that has plagued Moroccan football in the continental competition. They will now face Senegal in the final on Sunday, after the latter defeated Egypt 1-0. Meanwhile, Nigeria will play Egypt in the third-place match on Saturday.
This qualification marks Morocco's second victory in an Africa Cup of Nations semi-final out of five appearances at this stage. Their first achievement came in the 2004 edition in Tunisia, when the national team eliminated Mali en route to the final.
A balanced and cautious first half
Both teams entered the match cautiously, each aware of the stakes and the importance of the encounter. Morocco nearly opened the scoring early in the third minute after Sibari won possession near the penalty area, but his hesitation in shooting squandered a golden opportunity.
Nigeria attempted to absorb Morocco's initial enthusiasm by maintaining possession in their own half, without posing a real threat to the goal. Meanwhile, the Atlas Lions continued their pressure and came close to scoring in the ninth minute with a powerful shot from Brahim Diaz that went just wide of goalkeeper Noubale's right post.
Nigeria's first real threat came in the 14th minute through Lookman, but goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was equal to the task, making a solid save. As the half progressed, the pace of the game slowed, and play became concentrated in midfield, with both sides displaying solid defenses, though Morocco held a slight advantage.
El Kaabi squandered another chance inside the penalty area in the 27th minute, before Diaz's header went wide. Achraf Hakimi's free kick in the 34th minute nearly found the net, but it struck the side netting, leaving the first half goalless.
Moroccan Pressure in the Second Half, Nigerian Resilience
At the start of the second half, the Moroccan team increased the tempo of their attack and came close to scoring in the 52nd minute when Zalzouli missed a clear opportunity after a brilliant save by the Nigerian goalkeeper. The Moroccan players continued their attempts to penetrate the organized Nigerian defense, but without a decisive edge in front of goal.
In the 83rd minute, Zalzouli unleashed a curling shot from outside the penalty area, which the goalkeeper saved with difficulty. Coach Walid Regragui then made attacking substitutions, bringing on Hamza Ighman and Oussama Targaline, in search of a breakthrough in the final minutes.
Despite Nigeria's pressure in the dying moments of regulation time, the Moroccan defense held firm, and the referee blew the final whistle with the score tied 0-0, sending the match into extra time.
Extra Time and a Penalty Shootout
The Moroccan team entered the first period of extra time with clear determination. Nayef Aguerd almost opened the scoring with a header that struck the post in the 93rd minute, while Ighman's shot went just wide two minutes later.
The match remained a back-and-forth affair in the second period of extra time, with both teams playing cautiously, wary of conceding a decisive goal. With 120 minutes remaining without a goal, the two sides resorted to a penalty shootout.
In the decisive moment, luck smiled on the Atlas Lions, who triumphed 4-2 amidst wild celebrations in the stands of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, marking Morocco's return to the Africa Cup of Nations final after an absence of more than two decades.
With this achievement, the Moroccan national team reaffirms its position among the continent's elite, and sends a strong message that the dream of continental glory is closer than ever.
