Related Post
Nigeria secured a record-extending ninth Africa Cup of Nations bronze medal after defeating Egypt 4-2 on penalties following a goalless draw in Saturday’s third-place playoff at the 2025 tournament in Morocco, footynaija.com reports.
While the Super Eagles celebrated another podium finish, Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi used the moment to question the value of the match itself, admitting he does not believe a third-place playoff should be part of the competition.
Iwobi, who was among Nigeria’s most influential performers throughout the tournament, came off the bench for the final 25 minutes and calmly converted his spot-kick in the shootout. The decisive moment, however, belonged to goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, who saved penalties from Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush to seal the victory.
Speaking after the game, Iwobi was honest about the emotional weight the fixture carried for a squad still hurting from their semi-final defeat to hosts Morocco.
“We were surrounded by doubts after failing to qualify for the World Cup. We wanted to win gold and ended up finishing third,” Iwobi told beIN SPORTS.
“The match was mentally difficult, because I don’t think a player can get rid of the effect of a loss in the semi-finals, and I don’t agree with holding a third-place match, but in the end we won it.”
The former Arsenal midfielder also acknowledged the quality of the Egyptian side and the preparation that went into the game.
“The Egyptian national team played a strong match, and we studied and watched footage of them in preparation for the match.”
Iwobi, who featured in every game of Nigeria’s campaign except the group-stage win over Uganda, finished the tournament with two assists and played a key role in the build-up to several Super Eagles goals.
He also praised the host nation, adding:
“Morocco is a beautiful country, with beautiful stadiums and beautiful hotels. I enjoyed the hospitality and visited the city of Marrakech and was impressed by what I saw.”
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be jointly hosted by Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.
