The Super Eagles were condemned to penalty shootout heartbreak on Wednesday night following their defeat to Morocco at the ongoing African Cup of Nations tournament.
They struggled to break past the Atlas Lions’ press for majority of the encounter and had Stanley Nwabali to thank for some stunning saves as the game headed into shootout after 120 minutes of action.
Nigeria were also on the end of many dubious calls from the center-referee during the match, most notably Calvin Bassey receiving a yellow card despite being fouled in the first half.
Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi missed their spot-kicks and despite Nwabali’s best efforts, the host nations were the ones who advanced to face Senegal in the final on Sunday.
Nigeria, on the other hand, will face Egypt in the bronze medal match on Saturday, hoping to salvage their tournament.
In this article, SportPremi highlights five things we learnt from the Super Eagles defeat in Rabat
1. Nigeria suffer penalty shootout heartbreak once again
Nigeria had suffered penalty heartbreak before the AFCON tournament began, losing to DR Congo in the CAF playoff final which also ended their hopes of reaching this year’s FIFA World Cup.
The team has been very impressive so far in Morocco, winning every of their five matches prior to the semifinal encounter and scoring at least twice in every match.
The Super Eagles would have hoped to win the semifinal clash in normal time, but they produced very little to trouble the host nations.
The game went into penalties and once again, Nigeria were defeated after failing to convert twice from 12 yards. Samuel Chukwueze’s nonchalant run-up resulted in a first miss, before Bruno Onyemaechi missed another to condemn them to the bronze medal match.
Despite the best efforts of Stanley Nwabali in the game, it all proved futile as the wait for a fourth African title continues.
2. Poor officiating takes center stage in Rabat
Nigeria were fully aware they would be up against a hostile atmosphere after booking their place in the semifinals, knowing the host nation would have the crowd firmly on their side.
There was also uproar surrounding the appointment of Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea, who had served as the VAR official during Morocco’s quarterfinal victory over Cameroon and was involved in several contentious decisions.
In the semifinal match, the referee took center stage once again with many dubious calls going in favour of the host nations. Nigeria were on the receiving end of poor officiating and maybe the result could have been different if a different referee had took charge.
3. Calvin Bassey defensive solidity
Bassey was Nigeria’s most impressive outfield player of the match, delivering an inspired defensive display to help keep his side in the game.
The Fulham defender was on the end of poor officiating after he was wrongfully yellow carded in the first half, but played his game and won almost all the duels he contested. He also made eight headed clearances and was not dribbled past once in the clash.
He was on hand to make many clearances and his constant long ball forward helped beat the intense press of the Moroccans.
The 26-year-old will be a major miss in the Super Eagles third-place clash against Egypt following his caution in the semifinal defeat.
4. Bruno Onyemaechi keeps Brahim Diaz at bay
A major talking point heading into the clash was how Bruno Onyemaechi would cope against the threat of golden boot leader Brahim Diaz and Achraf Hakimi.
However, the Olympiacos left-back proved equal to the task, nullifying the threat of Diaz and also preventing Hakimi from making his usual runs to the flanks.
Although he could not really help the attack like he did in the quarterfinal win over Algeria, his defensive solidity made up for his performance.
The defender went on to lose a spot-kick in the shootout, but he will be proud of his defensive output.
5. Nwabali superb in goal
Stanley Nwabali’s impressive performances at the 2023 African Cup of Nations made him a fan favourite. However, the goalkeeper had been very shaky in goal in recent outings leading to calls for him to be dropped.
The Chippa United goalkeeper proved his worth once again on the biggest stage with a brilliant performance to keep the Super Eagles in the game. He made stunning saves to keep the scoreline level and also saved a spot-kick in the shootout, although they could not capitalize on the advantage
