The Senegalese players controversially walked off the field in protest in the final after Morocco were awarded a late penalty in the second-half of stoppage time in the final.

After they returned to the field, Morocco missed the penalty, while Pape Gueye went on to score the winning goal in extra-time to hand them a 1-0 win in Rabat.

However, CAF have since stripped Senegal of their title and handed the victory to Morocco, who are now the new African champions.

The Confederation of African Football have since released the following statement, which reads:

The CAF Appeal Board decided that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 (“the Match”), with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).

The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) Appeal Board decided today that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025 (“the Match”), with the result of the Match being recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).

On the appeal by the FRMF regarding the application of Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the CAF Appeal Board made the following rulings:

– “The appeal lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) is declared admissible in form and the appeal is upheld.

– The CAF Disciplinary Board decision is set aside.

– The CAF Appeal Board further finds that the conduct of the Senegal team falls within the scope of Articles 82 and 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations.

– The protest lodged by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) is upheld.

– It is declared that the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF), through the conduct of its team, infringed Article 82 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations.

– In application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations, the Senegal team is declared to have forfeited the match, with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF).

– All other motions or prayers for relief are dismissed.”

The CAF Appeal Board also ruled that:

– “The appeal lodged in respect of Mr Ismaël Saibari (Player No. 11 of the Morocco National Team) is partially upheld.

– The CAF Appeal Board confirms the finding that Mr Ismaël Saibari (Player No. 11 of the Morocco National Team) committed misconduct in violation of Articles 82 and 83(1) of the CAF Disciplinary Code.

– The sanction imposed on Mr Ismaël Saibari (Player No. 11 of the Morocco National Team) is amended to a suspension of two (2) official CAF matches, of which one (1) match is suspended.

– The fine of USD 100,000 imposed on Mr Ismaël Saibari (Player No. 11 of the Morocco National Team) is set aside.

– The appeal lodged in respect of the ball boys incident is partially upheld.

– The CAF Appeal Board confirms the finding that the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) is responsible for the conduct of the ball boys during the aforementioned match.

– The fine imposed on the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) in respect of the ball boys incident is reduced to USD 50,000.

– The appeal lodged in respect of the interference around the OFR/VAR review area is dismissed.

– The fine of USD 100,000 imposed on the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) in respect of the interference around the OFR/VAR review area is confirmed.

– The appeal lodged in respect of the laser incident is partially upheld.

– The fine imposed on the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) in respect of the laser incident is reduced to USD 10,000.

– All other motions or prayers for relief are dismissed.”

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But then came a set of farcical events that will forever cloud the tournament with images of eventual winners Senegal walking off in protest at a penalty awarded against them in the final, severely tarnishing the African game.

Here are some talking points after Sunday’s dramatic conclusion of the tournament:

ACTION AGAINST SENEGAL
Senegal might be celebrating their Africa Cup of Nations victory but will be anxiously awaiting possible sanctions for their walk-off during Sunday’s final against Morocco.
Senegal staged a lengthy protest after a penalty awarded in the dying stages of the game to hosts Morocco after a VAR review, walking off the pitch before returning to continue the game.
Morocco squandered the penalty, taking the game into extra time where Senegal scored to win the match 1-0 and emerge victorious for a second time in the last three Cup of Nations editions.
But their actions have been widely condemned, including by both FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the Confederation of African Football and coach Pape Bouna Thiaw, who ordered his players off, and some of those who went off to the change room can expect to face disciplinary charges.
With a trip to the World Cup next for Senegal, they will be concerned that the coach and key players could be suspended for matches at the tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. in June.

NO AFRO SCEPTICISM FOR 2030
Morocco’s successful hosting of the Cup of Nations means there should be no scepticism about the country’s ability to co-host the World Cup with Portugal and Spain in 2030, even if Sunday’s game was a PR disaster and saw defeat for the home team.
Impressive stadiums, easy transportation links, and a well-established tourism infrastructure ensured the 24-team tournament went off without any major hitch and will assuage any doubters about the World Cup in four years’ time, unlike all the afro-pessimism ahead of South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 finals.
Morocco plans to use six venues in 2030, and five of them were used for the Cup of Nations, providing world-class playing surfaces. The Grande Stade in Tangier, at 75,000, was an impressive facility in the northern coastal city that is less than an hour’s ferry ride from Spain.
Sunday’s final was played at the Stade Mouley Abdellah in the capital Rabat, which has a capacity of 69,500. The attendance for the final was 66,526.
Stadiums in Agadir, Fes, and Marrakech were also more than adequate and will now be renovated over the next years.
But the crowning glory is the proposed 115,000-capacity Stade Hassan II on the outskirts of Casablanca, which Morocco hopes will be chosen to host the 2030 final over Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT
Senegal talisman Sadio Mane emerged with more than just the Player of the Tournament award but also widespread respect for his role in ensuring the match against Morocco was completed.
Mane was the player who persuaded his teammates to return to the pitch after their coach had ordered them off in protest at a penalty awarded against them deep in stoppage time at the end of the match.
Mane said it was his last African championship.
“My last Afcon? Yes, I think I’ve said it, I’ll stop here,” he told reporters.
“I think the next generation is ready, they’ll do the job, I’ll be their 12th man,” the 33-year-old Mane added.
Mane has played in six Cup of Nations, with two winners’ medals in 2021, when he was also named Man of the Tournament, and on Sunday a runner-up in 2019. He scored 11 goals in 29 appearances.
It is likely he will quit international football altogether after Senegal competes in the World Cup in North America in June.

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Thiaw ordered his players off the field in protest at a penalty awarded against them before they returned to beat hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time and win the trophy.

Thiaw had been expected to explain his decision at the post-match press conference but when he entered the room the coach was jeered by Moroccan journalists while their Senegalese counterparts clapped.

Failure by officials to quieten a rowdy room then saw Thiaw leave.

The Senegal coach was central to the farcical scenes that clouded the final and could face heavy sanction from the Confederation of African Football.

The penalty was awarded following a VAR check by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala after Brahim Diaz had been tugged to the ground by Senegal full back El Hadji Malick Diouf while defending a corner five minutes into stoppage time.

But Senegal reacted angrily to the decision and walked off, some players going down the tunnel and into their changing room. It took 14 minutes before they returned and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saved Diaz’s poorly taken Panenka-style chipped spot kick.

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It was a night of high drama in Rabat, where Senegal edged a dramatic decider 1-0 after Brahim Diaz missed a penalty in the dying seconds of added time at the end of the game and Papa Gueye netted a superb winner.

But the game will long be remembered for the incidents on and off the pitch, and not the at-times exhilarating football between the two best teams in the competition.

Morocco’s 50 years of pain since they last lifted the trophy continues, but they bottled it on home soil against a Senegal side who were superior on the night.

Here is a run-down of the major incidents on a night of high drama.

Disputed goal
Things were relatively calm until Senegal thought they had scored the winner in the 93rd minute of the game, when Ismaila Sarr headed into the net after Abdoulaye Seck’s header had crashed back off the crossbar. But referee Jean-Jacques Ndala from DR Congo was very quick to rule it out for a debatable foul by Seck on Achraf Hakimi. Was there enough contact? Did Hakimi go down too easily? Senegal had been frustrated all night by what they perceived as Ndala giving all the 50-50 decisions the home side’s way. This was, in many ways, the flashpoint, and the match disintegrated from here.

Penalty to Morocco
Three minutes later, Diaz went down in the box after an arm around the neck from Senegal defender El Hadji Malick Diouf. The referee initially did not give it, but when called over to the monitor on the sidelines, he signalled for a penalty. You see these given and not given. Diaz made the most of it, but there was contact and, on the balance of things, a penalty was probably the correct call. But then things really kicked off.

Trouble in the stands
The disallowed goal, followed quickly by a penalty to Morocco, enraged the Senegalese fans and many tried to invade the pitch, fighting with security and throwing the chairs of photographers who were seated in front of them. It was ugly, totally uncalled for, and took a long time to quell.

The walk-off
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw had had enough and called his players from the field. Whatever their grievances, this was the wrong call and he must face whatever punishment comes his way. Emotions were at fever pitch, but as a national team coach in the biggest match on the continent, you also have a duty to the game. Luckily, Senegal captain Sadio Mane saw sense and called them back, after also talking to veteran coach Claude Leroy, who was on the sidelines working for television. Mane deserves enormous credit for his calm intervention.

Diaz duffs it
What it meant was that the penalty to be taken by Diaz did not happen until the 114th minute, some 16 minutes after the spot-kick was awarded. Morocco have several excellent penalty takers in their team; how the process came about to give it to him, we do not know. He was chasing his sixth goal of the tournament and it would have solidified the Golden Boot, which he won in any event. What possessed him to attempt a Panenka penalty, we do not know, but it was woeful and a moment he will have to live with for the remainder of his career and beyond, or certainly until Morocco lift the trophy again.
Rumours swirled in the media tribune inside the stadium that he had missed on purpose as part of a gentleman’s agreement to get the Senegalese players back on the pitch, but this is fanciful and highly unlikely. What is very interesting, though, is that not a single Senegalese player celebrated the penalty save as you would imagine they might have. They simply turned and continued with the game.

Ball boy fights
In the melee ahead of the penalty, the Moroccan players and ball boys tried everything they could to get the towel of Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, which clearly had information on possible penalty takers written on it. Senegal reserve goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf was stationed to protect it and at one point was being dragged along the ground by ball boys trying to get it off him. A goalkeeper for French Ligue 1 side Nice being dragged by ball boys was a surreal sight.

Post-match drama
It was inevitable that after the game there would be further tension. When Senegal coach Thiaw arrived for the post-match press conference, he was booed loudly by Moroccan journalists and walked out without it ever taking place. There were also fights in the media tribune, which should be a sterile, professional environment.

The long game
In all, the final took 151 minutes of playing time to complete, a little more than two-and-a-half hours. The repercussions will be heavy from CAF, most likely for Senegal, and to an extent they will have to take their medicine, no matter their feelings towards the referee.
The drama had actually started in the days before the final, when the Senegalese Football Federation took the unusual step of releasing a statement criticising the organisation ahead of the match and pointing out various things they were unhappy with, security, accommodation, training venues and a small allocation of tickets for their fans being the main ones. Tension was already in the air before the dramatic showdown at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

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Morocco are seeking their first African title in 50 years and will draw from decades of disappointment as they seek to end their drought on home soil.

That also means there will be pressure on them, and with Senegal having been champion as recently as the 2021 edition, their opponents know how to win finals.

Here are some key statistics ahead of the game.

Record number of games
Morocco will be playing their seventh match at the 2025 Cup of Nations, the most they have played at a single edition. When crowned champions in 1976 and finishing runners-up in 2004, they played six matches in each tournament. They have won four matches at the current edition, their joint-highest total alongside 1976 and 2004. Morocco are featuring in their second Cup of Nations final and first since 2004. When they won the tournament 50 years ago, the final phase was played as a round-robin mini-league with no final. In their only previous final 22 years ago, they faced hosts Tunisia and lost 2-1.

West African woes
At the current finals, Morocco have already played two West African teams and have failed to win in open play, drawing with Mali in the group stages and winning on penalties against Nigeria in the semi-finals. They have won just one of their last four matches against West African teams, a group-stage win over Ghana in 2021 (D3). Their last two knockout matches against West African teams, Nigeria at the current edition and Benin in the 2021 Round of 16, have been decided on penalties. They defeated Nigeria and lost to Benin. Their last outright knockout-stage win over a West African team came against Mali in the 2004 semi-finals, a 4-0 victory. There have been eight previous finals between teams from West and North Africa, with four wins for each.

Miserly defence
Morocco have conceded one goal at the current edition, the fewest they have conceded after six matches at a Cup of Nations. Their five clean sheets is their most in a single edition, and Yassine Bounou is the first Moroccan goalkeeper to keep that many clean sheets at one tournament. One more and he would become the first goalkeeper from any country to keep six clean sheets in a single Cup of Nations. Bounou has kept a total of 11 clean sheets in 17 Cup of Nations games. Overall, Morocco have now gone 477 minutes without conceding a goal.

Deadly Diaz
Brahim Díaz scored in each of Morocco’s first five matches but failed to score in the semi-final against Nigeria. Another goal for Díaz would see him draw level with Ahmed Faras as Morocco’s joint top scorer in the Cup of Nations with six goals. It would also make him the second Moroccan, after Faras, to score in six matches at a single finals. Diaz has recorded eight shots on target in the 2025 edition, the most of any Moroccan player.

Superior to Senegal
Morocco have won four of the last six games between the sides, with Senegal’s only victory in this period coming in the form of a 1-0 win on 25 May 2012 in a friendly match. In Morocco’s only Cup of Nations title in 1976, they faced Senegal in the first round of the qualifiers, defeating them 5-2 on aggregate. Morocco won the first leg 4-0 in Fez, while Senegal won the second leg 2-1.

Advantage to the hosts
Host nations have competed in 14 Cup of Nations finals down the years, winning 11 of those and losing three. Two of those defeats, Nigeria against Cameroon in 2000 and Libya against Ghana in 1982, were on penalties, while Tunisia lost to Ghana in 1965. The latter was the only time a host nation has lost the final in open play without the need for penalties.

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They have complained bitterly about their treatment in the build-up to the game, but if there is one team in the tournament who can upset the odds and defeat the hosts, it is this Senegalese side.

Packed with pace and talented ball-players, they have arguably looked the best team to this point, but must find a way to breakdown the organised and efficient Moroccans.

Here are some key statistics ahead of Sunday’s epic clash.

Fourth final
Senegal have been to three previous Cup of nations finals, losing the first two until they finally broke their duck in 2021. Their first in 2002 ended in a 0-0 draw against Cameroon, who won 3-2 on penalties. They were back in the decider in 2019, but this time lost 1-0 to Algeria. They did not have to wait too long for their first win though as they edged Egypt 4-2 on penalties in the decider following a 0-0 draw. It means there has been just one goal scored in their three deciders, after two minutes by Algeria’s Baghdad Bounedjah. Senegal have netted none. As an aside, Ivory Coast’s first four Cup of Nations finals all finished 0-0, before they beat Nigeria 2-1 in the 2023 edition.

Tight defence
Senegal have kept four clean sheets at the current edition and would equal their best run of five in a single tournament if they do so in this match, having achieved five in 2002, 2019 and 2021. DR Congo’s Cédric Bakambu scored against them in a 1-1 group stage draw, the only match they have not won in Morocco. Sudan’s Aamir Yunis Abdallah also netted against the Senegalese in the Round of 16. They have kept 15 clean sheets in their last 22 Cup of Nations matches and have not conceded more than one goal in a match since a 2-2 draw against Algeria in their final group game in 2017.

Most wins
Victory would see Senegal become the first team to win four successive knockout games at the Cup of Nations. They have won five games overall at the current edition, their joint-highest total alongside 2019. A victory would see them win six games at a single Cup of Nations edition for the first time. They are undefeated in their last 17 Cup of Nations matches since losing the 2019 final (W12 D5). In fact, that loss to Algeria is their only defeat in their last 22 matches (W16 D5).

Goals galore
Senegal have scored in all six of their 2025 matches, the first time they have done so at a Cup of Nations. The 12 goals they have scored at the current tournament is the most they have netted at a single edition. They have now scored in their last 10 Cup of Nations matches, last failing to score in the 2021 final against Egypt.

No Koulibaly
Senegal captain and defensive rock Kalidou Koulibaly misses the match through suspension, his second ban of the current tournament after a red card in the group stages. It means he misses an Cup of Nations final through suspension for the second time, having also missed the 2019 decider. Senegal will also be without influential midfielder Habib Diarra through suspension.

Super Sadio
Sadio Mane scored Senegal’s only goal against Egypt in the semi-finals, his 11th career goal at the Cup of Nations. Four of those strikes have come in knockout matches. His total Cup of Nations goal involvements are now 20, with 11 goals and nine assists. He is the ninth player in Cup of Nations history to score 10 or more goals, after Samuel Eto’o (18), Laurent Pokou (14), Rashidi Yekini (13), Hassan El-Shazly (12), Patrick M’Boma, Mohamed Salah, Hossam Hassan and Didier Drogba (all 11). Mane has also created 18 chances for teammates, the most of any player in the tournament.

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Here are talking points for the game.

Nwabali shootout prowess
The big frame of Nwabali stopped efforts from Egypt’s Premier League stars Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush to set up success in the shootout. They were two excellent stops, first with a strong hand, and the second with his feet. Egypt did put their next two past him but it was the Chippa ‘keeper elected man of the match for his heroics. It would have gone some way to making up for the disappointment of Nigeria’s penalty shootout defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the World Cup playoff in November and again in Wednesday’ semi-final loss to hosts Morocco.

Merits of the match
The World Cup and the Cup of Nations continue with the third-place game but the European Championship long dispensed with it. Many ask what is the point? While there was a decent crowd at Stade Mohamed V to watch two of the continent’s heavyweights, there was little edge to the contest and a raft of changes from coaches who had claim beforehand they desperately wanted to win. Is there really any point besides giving television one more match to go show?

Osimhen and the golden boot
Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen was only one goal behind Brahim Diaz of Morocco in the race for the top scorer at the Cup of Nations finals and would have had a good opportunity on Saturday to catch him up and potentially over take him. But Nigeria’s star striker did not suit up, staying on the bench throughout the 90 minutes. He had looked to pick up a knock near the end of the semi-final against Morocco and with plenty of club football ahead with Galatasaray erred on the side of caution.

Goalless draw
The scoreless tie was only the third time in 33 third place play off matches that the bronze medal game ended goalless. The first was not that long ago in 2015 when hosts Equatorial Guinea were pipped by the Democratic Republic of Congo on post match penalties and then again at the last edition where South Africa edged the Leopards following a goalless stalemate in Abidjan.

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Morocco, seeking their first continental title in 50 years, will face 2021 winners Senegal in Sunday’s decider in Rabat, while Nigeria take on Egypt in the third-place play-off the day before.

The 120 minutes before the shoot-out had few clear-cut chances for either side, but it was Morocco who created the greater opportunities, though they were denied by some fine saves from Nigeria’s Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.

Senegal beat Egypt 1-0 thanks to Sadio Mane’s winner in the first semi-final earlier on Wednesday.

Nigeria had the best scoring record in the competition coming into the semi-final, but offered very little going forward and when Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi saw their tame penalties saved in the shoot-out, they were left to reflect on a performance that showed little ambition.

Morocco were workmanlike and efficient as they have been all through the competition, but are still yet to find their best form.

They remain on the brink of a first continental crown since 1976 however, even if their biggest challenge awaits in Senegal.

The first half hour was devoid of goal-mouth chances until Achraf Hakimi’s corner was headed into the path of Ayoub El Kaabi five yards from goal.

But he was caught in two minds over whether to turn or try an overhead-kick, and in the end did neither.

Ismael Saibari showed excellent skill to work a shooting chance, however Nwabali was equal to the shot. He was by far the busier keeper in the game, but Morocco were largely reduced to long-range efforts that proved comfortable enough to save.

Nigeria had few opportunities on attack but when talisman striker Victor Osimhen did receive a pass in the box, his touch was poor and the chance was lost.

Nayef Aguerd’s header from a corner hit the outside of the post as the hosts went close, but penalties seemed inevitable well before the 120 minutes were up and following Bounou’s saves, En-Nesyri struck the decisive spot-kick to send his side into the decider.

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Second-ranked Senegal take on Egypt in the first of the semi-finals in Tangier, followed by the clash between hosts Morocco and Nigeria in Rabat.

These are the players from both sides with the most experience at the tournament and whose could be key to their respective team’s chance.

Yassine Bounou (Morocco)
The 34-year-old goalkeeper was picked for the 2017 finals in Gabon but stayed on the bench throughout, playing his first finals game in 2019 against Namibia. The semi-final against Nigeria will be his 17th game at the finals.

Munir El Kajoui (Morocco)
This is the fifth Cup of Nations finals for the backup goalkeeper, but he played only in the 2017 tournament and one match in 2019 (against South Africa) and one match in 2021. He has been on the bench ever since.

Youssef En Nesyri (Morocco)
No longer first-choice striker but still a strong option off the bench, this is his fifth tournament. He has five goals in 20 matches, one off the all-time record goals for Morocco at the finals held by Ahmed Faras, the hero of their 1976 winning team.

Idrissa Gana Gueye (Senegal)
Gueye’s six tournament appearances have seen him play in 27 finals matches. The 36-year-old first competed at the 2015 edition in Equatorial Guinea and has both a winners’ medal from 2021 and a runners-up medal from the 2019 edition.

Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal)
The former Chelsea and Napoli centre back marked his 100th cap for his country at the tournament in Morocco but was sent off in the same game. The 34-year-old is competing at a fifth Cup of Nations finals and Wednesday will be his 25th match at the tournament.

Sadio Mane (Senegal)
The former African Footballer of the Year has netted 10 goals in 27 tournament appearances since his first Cup of Nations finals run out in the 2015 edition against Bafana Bafana. He tucked away the decisive penalty that won Senegal the title in Yaoundé four years ago.

Romain Saiss (Morocco)
The skipper hurt himself in the opening game of the tournament against Comoros and his fifth tournament appearance looks to have come to an end after only 19 minutes. He played first in 2017 and has been through much heartbreak with Morocco over the last four tournaments.

Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
The Pharaoh inexplicably missed out on the finals for three successive editions in 2012, 2013 and 2015, so Salah has only played in five tournaments since 2017. He has 11 goals in 23 matches.

Mahmoud Trezeguet (Egypt)
The winger has been to five tournaments in a row and twice finished as a runner-up. The first was against Hugo Broos’ Cameroon in 2017 and then again at the 2010 finals in Cameroon, where his side lost on post-match spot kicks to Egypt.

Nigeria did not qualify for the Cup of Nations in either 2015 or 2017, so none of their players has competed in more than four tournaments since the 2019 edition in Egypt.

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It is a remarkable record of consistency that is better the other three protagonists who will be playing in Wednesday’s semi-final at the tournament in Morocco.

Egypt, who have been to more Cup of Nations finals than any other country plus won the tournament more times, have had 16 past semi-final appearances but that has come 27 separate editions since the first tournament in 1957, which they won.

This will be the seventh time that Senegal are in a Cup of Nations semi-finaI while for host Morocco it is a sixth time.
Getting through semi-final appearances to the final is harder with Morocco featuring in only two finals, Senegal in three, Nigeria in eight and Egypt in 10.

The first of Wednesday’s semi-final in Tangier sees Egypt and Senegal continue their recent tussles.

They played against each other in Yaounde, Cameroon in the 2021 Cup of Nations final which ended goalless after extra time and then saw Sadio Mane convert the winning kick in the post-match penalty shootout to hand Senegal their first continental title.

A month later they were paired together again in the decisive qualifying playoff for the World Cup in Qatar with Egypt winning the first leg in Cairo, courtesy of a fourth minute own goal.

The return leg in Dakar four days later saw Senegal equalise the aggregate scoreline through Hamdy Fathy’s own goal, also going in after four minutes. With the teams level on aggregate after 90 minutes, the tie had to be decided on penalties with Mohamed Salah squandering Egypt’s first kick and his Liverpool teammate Mane again blasting home the winning penalty.

Nigeria and Morocco will clash in Wednesday’s second semi-final in Rabat in a first meeting since the 2004 Cup of Nations finals in Tunisia.
Morocco beat Nigeria 1-0 in Monastir in the group competition, which also included Bafana Bafana.

There is a good omen for both in terms of beating the other in the Cup of nations tournament. When Morocco won the 1976 edition in Ethiopia they beat Nigeria twice en route to the trophy. And when Nigeria hosted in 1980 and won their first title, they edged Morocco 1-0 in the semi-final.

In the 18 past meetings between the two countries there have been eight wins for Morocco, six for Nigeria and four draws. Ther first 11 clashes between the countries all produced a winner before a series of four successive goalless draws.

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