Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi has challenged the relevance of a third-place match at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), despite Nigeria beating Egypt on penalties to claim bronze at the 2025 tournament in Morocco.
Naija News reports that Nigeria sealed third place after a 4-2 shootout victory over Egypt, but Iwobi believes the fixture carries limited value, particularly coming so soon after the emotional blow of a semi-final exit.
The Fulham man featured prominently throughout the competition and was among Nigeria’s standout performers, starting every match except the group game against Uganda.
Iwobi, who supplied two assists across six appearances, was central to much of Nigeria’s attacking build-up at AFCON 2025. He came off the bench in the final 25 minutes of Saturday night’s playoff and calmly converted the decisive penalty to secure victory.
Speaking after the match, the midfielder admitted the occasion was mentally draining for the squad, especially in the shadow of their painful semi-final defeat to hosts Morocco.
“We were surrounded by doubts after not making it to the World Cup,” Iwobi told beIN SPORTS.
“We wanted to win gold but ended up finishing third. The match was tough mentally because I don’t think a player can completely forget the pain of losing in the semi-finals.
“I also don’t agree with having a third-place game, but in the end, we managed to win it.”
The 28-year-old also praised the quality within the Egyptian side, singling out Premier League forwards Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, both of whom saw their penalties saved by goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali during the shootout.
“The Egyptian team had a good game, and we looked at videos of them to prepare for the match. Morocco is a beautiful country, and it has nice stadiums and nice hotels,” he said.
“I really liked the welcome I received and went to the city of Marrakech, and I was really amazed by everything I saw there.”
Nigeria’s bronze-medal finish capped a strong campaign, although it fell short of the squad’s ultimate ambition. Forward Ademola Lookman echoed that sentiment, admitting the Super Eagles arrived with one clear objective.
“Everyone wanted to win the gold medal. We came for the trophy, but it didn’t happen,” Lookman said.
“We leave the tournament with the bronze medal, and that is enough.”
The Atalanta winger was Nigeria’s most productive player at the tournament, scoring three goals and registering four assists, the highest combined tally at AFCON 2025. His performances have placed him firmly in contention for a spot in the official Team of the Tournament.
Before their semi-final heartbreak against Morocco, Nigeria were the only unbeaten side left in the competition, winning all five of their matches. That flawless run ended in a dramatic penalty shootout loss to the hosts, denying the three-time African champions a place in the final.
The Super Eagles have now finished third at the AFCON on nine occasions, in 1976, 1978, 1992, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2019, with the latest bronze coming in Morocco.
