Africa Cup of Nations – Morocco eliminates Nigeria in a penalty shootout to advance to the final against Senegal.

In the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final, Morocco defeated Nigeria 4-2 on penalties. This victory propelled them into the final, where they will face Senegal, led by Sadio Mane.

As the host of this year's Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco took the initiative early on: in the 9th minute, Bilal Hannus passed the ball to the right wing from near the edge of the box, and Brahim Diaz cut inside and curled a shot wide of the far post. Nigeria responded in the 14th minute with a brilliant long-range shot from Admora Lookman, but it was saved by Yassin Bounou.

In the 29th minute, Achraf Hakimi's corner kick from the right was headed on by Diaz inside the box, bouncing near the goal line. Semi Ajay attempted a bicycle kick on the rebound, but also missed the target. In the 33rd minute, Morocco won a free kick on the right side of the attacking third, but Hakimi's direct shot went over the crossbar. In the 40th minute, Ismail Sebari and Abd Ezalozoli combined to break into the left side of the penalty area, and Sebari then dribbled past Bright Osaj Samuel before his shot was saved.

After the break, Morocco still held a slight advantage over Nigeria. In the 52nd minute, Sebarri broke through from the left wing to the edge of the penalty area and delivered a through ball, but Ezalozoli's follow-up shot was saved by Stanley Nwabali with one hand. In the 82nd minute, Ezalozoli took a long-range shot with no one marking him, but it was again saved by Nwabali.

After a goalless draw in regular time, the two sides were forced to settle the score with a penalty shootout. In the first round, Neal Ainawi and Paulo Onachou both converted their penalties, making it 1-1. In the second round, Hamza Igamane and Samuel Chukuezé both opted for the bottom left corner, but their shots were brilliantly saved by Nwabali and Bono. In the third round, Elisé Ben Sagir and Fissayo Dele-Bashirou converted their penalties, making it 2-2. In the fourth round, Hakimi deceived the goalkeeper and scored with a low shot into the bottom right corner, but Bruno Onemeć's subsequent penalty was easily saved by Bono, making it 3-2. At the crucial moment, Youssef En-Nesyri held his nerve and converted his penalty, securing a 4-2 aggregate victory for Morocco.