Nigeria crowned their Africa Cup of Nations 2025 campaign with a historic milestone by beating Egypt 4–2 on penalties in the third‑place playoff after a 0–0 draw in Casablanca.
The victory secured another bronze medal and added fresh gloss to the Super Eagles’ long relationship with the AFCON podium.
According to Opta’s statistics, this is the 17th time Nigeria have finished in the top three at the tournament, the highest total of any African nation in the competition’s history. Their haul includes three titles (1980, 1994 and 2013) and five runners‑up finishes, underlining their consistency at the sharp end over decades.
Most striking of all, Nigeria have now claimed the bronze medal a record nine times, further reinforcing their reputation as almost ever‑present contenders.
They responded impressively to their semi‑final shootout defeat against hosts Morocco, bouncing back to edge Mohamed Salah’s Egypt on spot kicks.
Opta also noted that Nigeria did not concede a single goal in the knockout rounds of AFCON 2025, keeping four clean sheets in four games, an achievement that reflects the defensive steel behind this latest achievement.
