Nigeria's Bronze Brilliance: AFCON 2025 Ends with Penalty Triumph Over Egypt
17 January 2026
Historic AFCON bronze sealed after shootout drama
Nigeria sealed a historic milestone by defeating Egypt 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 third‑place match on January 17, 2026.
The Green Eagles extended their AFCON podium tally to 17, the most by any African nation in the tournament’s history.
Gold medals were earned in 1980, 1994 and 2013; silver on five occasions; bronze nine times. After losing the semi to Morocco on penalties, Nigeria bounced back to claim bronze on the day.
Opta data highlighted that Nigeria did not concede a goal in the knockout rounds of AFCON 2025, keeping four straight clean sheets across four matches.
The bronze triumph adds a chapter to a campaign defined by solid defense and timely finishing as penalties decided the final order of the bronze.
Punchline 1: If penalties were a test, Nigeria brought a full study guide and still found time to doodle on the margins.
Punchline 2: They say bronze is just a warm up for gold; tonight Nigeria wore the bronze badge with a smile bright enough to light up a trophy room.
