Nigeria vs Egypt
Saturday, January 17, 2026 | 5:00 PM (Nigerian time)
Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca
Nigeria and Egypt, two African football giants, meet on Saturday in a match both teams wish they weren’t playing. Both fell in the semifinals, are nursing wounds, and would rather be preparing for Sunday’s final.
Nigeria’s Heartbreak
Nigeria’s perfect run came to a crushing end on Wednesday night. After 120 goalless minutes against Morocco, the Super Eagles lost 4-2 on penalties in front of 68,000 hostile fans in Rabat.
Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi missed their penalties, and goalkeeper Yassine Bounou became Morocco’s hero. Nigeria dominated the tournament—five wins, 14 goals scored—but when it mattered most, they couldn’t find the net. Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman struggled to connect, and Eric Chelle’s side offered very little going forward in a limp display.
The dream of a fourth AFCON title died on penalties. Now they’re left fighting for bronze.
Egypt’s Defeat
Egypt lost 1-0 to Senegal in the first semifinal, with Sadio Mané’s goal ending their hopes of reaching a 10th AFCON final. The Pharaohs, chasing their first title since 2010, came close but not close enough.
Mohamed Salah, who scored four goals at the tournament, couldn’t inspire Egypt past a disciplined Senegalese side. Now they face Nigeria.
The head-to-head record between these two sides depends on the scope. Since 2010, Egypt have won 4, Nigeria have won 2, with 1 draw across 7 meetings.
At AFCON specifically, they’ve met 6 times previously. Egypt hold a slight edge with 3 wins to Nigeria’s 2, with 1 draw. Their most recent AFCON meeting was in the 2022 group stage, where Nigeria won 1-0.
Interestingly, Nigeria beat Egypt 3-2 in the 1976 third-place playoff, the last time these two met in this exact scenario.
Here’s the thing about third-place playoffs: managers rotate. Heavily.
Don’t be surprised if Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Alex Iwobi get rested. Same for Egypt with Salah and their key players. Both coaches will be thinking about rest, avoiding injuries, and giving fringe players minutes.
Eric Chelle might also want to protect Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi—both of whom missed penalties—from further scrutiny by giving them the day off.
The starting XIs we see on Saturday might look very different from the teams that played in the semifinals.
Pride. A chance for fringe players to play. Bronze medals that nobody really wants but are better than going home with nothing.
Nigeria will want to end AFCON 2025 on a high after their perfect group stage run came crashing down. Egypt will want to salvage something from a tournament where they came close but not close enough.
Nigeria’s younger legs and superior tournament form (14 goals, dominant performances before the semifinal) give them the edge. Egypt looked tired against Senegal, and motivation is hard to manufacture for a third-place game, especially when your star players might be rested.
Prediction: Nigeria 2-1 Egypt
Bronze isn’t gold, but it’s better than going home empty-handed.
