The hosts are a win away from their first AFCON title since 1976.
Morocco clinched their place within the Africa Cup of Nations closing for the primary time since 2004 as they edged Nigeria 4-2 on penalties after a tense goalless draw within the semi-final.
The Atlas Lions haven’t gained the AFCON since doing so in 1976, and the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists have performed beneath weight of big expectations on residence soil as they give the impression of being to finish their anticipate a second title.
Morocco have been the higher group for lengthy intervals of an uninspiring contest in Rabat, although neither facet crafted a lot in the best way of clear-cut probabilities.
And it was Morocco who held their nerve within the shootout, Youssef En-Nesyri scoring the decisive penalty after Bruno’s poor spot-kick had offered him with the prospect to guide a spot within the closing in opposition to Senegal.
Morocco now face the Lions of Teranga on the similar venue on Sunday, whereas Nigeria face a third-place play-off with Egypt that can supply no comfort for a Tremendous Eagles group that will likely be conspicuous by its absence at this summer time’s World Cup.
Heartbreak for Nigeria as Morocco edge in the direction of glory
Brahim Diaz was the primary to threaten to interrupt the impasse when he bent an bold narrowly extensive, earlier than Ademola Lookman drew a sensible save from Yassine Bounou.
Calvin Bassey was given a harsh yellow card shortly after half-hour mark for a foul on Diaz that meant the Fulham defender would have missed the ultimate. Achraf Hakimi despatched the following free-kick over the crossbar.
Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali was by far the busier of the 2 goalkeepers and made saves to thwart Abde Ezzalzouli both facet of half-time, but neither he nor Bounou had a lot to do thereafter, as an attritional battle low on high quality noticed penalties turn out to be an inevitability.
Regardless of surprisingly withdrawing Victor Osimhen minutes earlier than penalties, the Tremendous Eagles had an opportunity to take management of the shootout after Hamza Igamane’s miss.
Nonetheless, Samuel Chukwueze additionally fluffed his traces and, after Bounou moved early to his left to maintain out Bruno’s effort from Nigeria’s fourth penalty, En-Nesyri confidently discovered the bottom-left nook to place Morocco a win away from glory.
