The Egyptian national team has once again fallen short in its quest for the bronze medal at the Africa Cup of Nations, finishing fourth in the 2025 edition held in Morocco.
Nigeria secured third place by defeating Egypt 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw in regulation time at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca.
This latest setback marks the fourth consecutive time Egypt has failed to claim the bronze medal in AFCON history, giving credence to what many assume to be a curse.
The Pharaohs have competed in seven previous third-place matches, winning three and losing four, with defeats in 1976, 1980, 1984, and now 2025 forming a frustrating pattern. Egypt’s bronze victories came in 1963 against Ethiopia (3-0), in 1970 against Ivory Coast (3-1), and in 1974 against Congo (4-0).
Nigeria has frequently proved a stumbling block for Egypt in the bronze medal race. The Pharaohs’ struggles began in 1976 when they lost third place to the Green Eagles following a 3-2 defeat in the final group stage match. Subsequent disappointments came in 1980 against Morocco (2-0) and in 1984 against Algeria (3-1).
Saturday’s match against Nigeria continued the unfortunate trend for Egypt, with the 4-2 penalty shootout defeat extending their streak of AFCON bronze misses.
Meanwhile, the final of the 2025 AFCON will come off later tonight at 19:00GMT when Senegal takes on Morocco.
