By Victor Okoye, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Nigeria and Egypt will clash for AFCON 2025 bronze medals on Saturday, with pride, history and momentum firmly at stake.
Neither the Super Eagles nor the Pharaohs approach the third-place match lightly, in spite of missing out on Sunday’s final in Morocco.
Both nations arrived with title ambitions, but fell short at the semi-final stage after intense, draining encounters.
Egypt were stopped by Senegal in Tanger, while Nigeria bowed out to hosts Morocco after a penalty shootout defeat in Rabat.
Saturday’s match offers a chance for consolation, legacy and psychological advantage for two African heavyweights.
Nigeria have scored 14 goals in six matches and remain unbeaten in regulation time at the tournament.
The Super Eagles believe their performances merited a place in the final.
Head Coach Eric Chelle said his players must respond positively to disappointment.
“I am proud of my players, but disappointed for them because we were among the best teams here,” Chelle said.
He urged focus ahead of the bronze-medal clash.
“The AFCON is not finished. We must concentrate and win the last game,” Chelle added.
Chelle admitted uncertainty over his future, but insisted the team comes first.
“Now is not the time to question my situation. We must respond on the pitch,” he said.
Nigeria trained in Casablanca on Thursday and will complete official preparations on Friday evening.
Historically, Nigeria and Egypt dominate AFCON bronze-medal records.
Nigeria have won eight bronze medals, while Egypt have claimed six.
Nigeria have never lost an AFCON third-place match.
Their first bronze came in 1976, beating Egypt 3-2 in Addis Ababa.
Haruna Ilerika scored twice, while Mudashiru Lawal added a memorable strike.
Nigeria’s most recent bronze was in 2019, after Odion Ighalo’s early goal sank Tunisia in Cairo.
The Super Eagles also claimed bronze in 1978, 1992, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2010.
Victory on Saturday would extend Nigeria’s advantage over Egypt in bronze medals.
Egypt, however, see the match as a chance to close the gap.
Head Coach Hossam Hassan stressed Egypt’s winning tradition.
“Egypt has a rich AFCON history, and we are playing to win against Nigeria,” Hassan said.
He described the bronze match as an important conclusion to the campaign.
“We want to end this tournament on a high note,” he added.
Hassan reflected on Egypt’s semi-final exit.
“We were close to the final, but fatigue and short recovery affected us against Senegal,” he said.
He also linked the match to long-term objectives.
“Competing at this level prepares us for the World Cup,” Hassan stated.
The fixture marks the 25th senior-level meeting between Nigeria and Egypt.
It will be their 10th AFCON encounter, with Nigeria winning five of the previous nine.
Two AFCON meetings ended scoreless, in Rabat in 1988 and Tunis in 1994.
One of their most dramatic clashes came in the 1984 AFCON semi-final.
Nigeria came from two goals down before winning 8-7 on penalties in Abidjan.
Their most recent AFCON meeting was in 2022, when Nigeria won 1-0 in Garoua, Cameroon.
Saturday’s bronze-medal match kicks off from 5 p.m. at Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca.
For both teams, pride, history and a strong finish remain powerful motivations.(NANFeatures)
***If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
