Morocco beat Nigeria on penalties to reach AFCON final

Morocco flooded Nigeria connected penalties, aft the lucifer finished 0-0 aft other time, to scope AFCON final.

Yassine Bounou saved ‍two penalties, and Youssef En-Nesyri netted the decisive spot footwear arsenic hosts Morocco secured a 4-2 shootout victory implicit Nigeria pursuing their 0-0 gully successful a tense Africa Cup of Nations semifinal successful Rabat.

Morocco, seeking their archetypal continental rubric successful 50 ⁠years, volition look 2021 winners Senegal successful Sunday’s decider successful Rabat, portion Nigeria instrumentality connected Egypt successful ​the third-place playoff a time before.

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The 120 minutes earlier the shootout connected Wednesday had fewer ‍clear-cut chances for either side, but it was Morocco who created the greater opportunities, though they were denied by immoderate good saves from Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.

Nigeria had the champion scoring grounds successful the contention coming into the semifinal, ‍but offered precise ⁠little going guardant successful a limp display.

And erstwhile Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi saw their tame penalties saved successful the shootout, they were near to bespeak connected a show that showed small ambition.

Morocco were workmanlike and businesslike arsenic they person been each done the competition, adjacent if they are inactive to find their champion form.

They are connected the brink of a archetypal continental crown since 1976, but their biggest situation awaits successful an awesome ​Senegal broadside who bushed Egypt 1-0 acknowledgment to Sadio Mane’s victor successful ‌the archetypal semifinal successful Tangier earlier connected Wednesday.

The archetypal fractional hr successful Rabat was devoid of goalmouth chances until Achraf Hakimi’s country was headed into the way of Ayoub El Kaabi 5 yards from goal.

But helium was caught successful 2 ‌minds whether to crook and sprout oregon effort an overhead kick, and successful the extremity did neither arsenic the accidental was lost.

Morocco’s Youssef En-Nesyri reacts aft scoring his punishment to triumph the punishment shootout [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]

Morocco predominate chances arsenic Nigeria neglect to fire

Morocco’s Ismael ‌Saibari showed fantabulous accomplishment to enactment a shooting chance, but Nwabali ⁠was adjacent to his effort.

He was by acold the busier keeper successful the game, but Morocco were mostly reduced to long-range efforts that proved comfy capable to save.

Nigeria had fewer opportunities, and erstwhile talisman Victor Osimhen did person a walk successful ‌the box, his interaction was poor, and the uncommon accidental was lost.

Nayef Aguerd’s header from a country deed the extracurricular of the station arsenic the hosts went close, but penalties seemed inevitable good ‍before the 120 minutes were up.

And pursuing Bounou’s saves, En-Nesyri struck the decisive spot-kick to nonstop his broadside into their archetypal last since a 2004 nonaccomplishment to Tunisia.