Nigeria Football Federation President, Ibrahim Gusau, has called on the Super Eagles to aim for victory in their upcoming third-place match against Egypt.
The Super Eagles were eliminated from the 2026 AFCON semi-finals after a 4-2 defeat on penalties to hosts Morocco’s Atlas Lions in Rabat on Wednesday night.
Éric Chelle’s squad will now face the Pharaohs of Egypt at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca on Saturday for the bronze medal.
Gusau emphasized the need for the team to move past the disappointment of the semi-final.
“It is important to retain focus by not continuing to dwell on what happened in the semi final match. As far as we are concerned, the team coped well in the circumstances, navigating a number of challenges and playing their game,” Gusau told thenff.com.
He also reflected on the unpredictable nature of penalty shootouts.
“Penalty shootouts remain lotteries in the game and it could have gone either way. Two years ago, they won their semi-final match of the AFCON after a penalty shootout. This time, it was not meant to be.
“The NFF is proud of the output of the team at this championship. They gave their best and still remain the team to have scored the most goals here. We will talk to them to pick up their morale and go for the bronze so that they will have something from a tournament in which they have done so well.”
