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25 min: Nwabali slices another clearance out of play and does the typical look-at-the-turf-accusingly routine. Nigeria have to keep the ball better than this. Ajayi cuddles El Kaabi this time after Morocco send it long.
23 min: Onyemaechi times his tackle right this time, just as Brahim was trying to slip the ball in behind for Hakimi down the right. Bassey and El Kaabi are involved in a right physical tussle and the Nigeria defender wins another free-kick off the striker.
21 min: Onyemaechi is pulled up for a kick at Hakimi’s ankles. The resulting free-kick out wide is well worked and El Aynaoui’s looping header drops harmlessly wide.
19 min: Nigeria try to break at speed with Osimhen and Lookman but the latter is surrounded by three Morocco players before he can pick out a teammate. The hosts say: ‘You’ll have to do better than that.’
17 min: El Khannouss tries to send a ball into the box but it’s blocked out for a corner. Osimhen heads away at the near post.
15 min: Bounou saves! Nice work from Iwobi creates an opening for Nigeria. He squares the ball across for Lookman who, some 20-25 yards out, hits a shot that bounces in front of the Morocco keeper, who parries it out of danger.
13 min: Morocco get on the ball just long enough to hear the Nigerian band in the stands before Nigeria win it back and the din returns. Nwabali scuffs a clearance out for a Morocco throw on halfway.
11 min: Nigeria are not getting the rub of the green with the referee. Iwobi wants a foul before a Morocco breakaway but doesn’t get it. Osimhen then wrestles with Masina inside the Nigeria half and a free-kick is given. Osimhen is not happy.
9 min: Just wide! Brahim drifts in on his left foot, inside the area, and floats a shot just wide of the far post. Oof. The noise builds further.
8 min: Brahim and Hakimi try to work something down the Morocco right but Bassey hoofs it clear. Brahim comes again …
6 min: Lookman gets on the ball on the edge of the box and tries to play Osayi-Samuel through but he collides with a couple of Morocco defenders and is penalised, for some reason. Onyedika then goes in on Hakimi. Feisty.
5 min: Nigeria try to take the sting out of the game after a jumpy start. That only serves to increase the volume of whistling coming from the home crowd.
3 min: Ajayi is a bag of nerves, giving the ball straight to Ezzalzouli in Nigeria’s defensive third. The defender manages to crunch in a tackle just as the winger was pulling the trigger.
2 min: Iwobi looks for Osimhen right away, punting the ball over the Morocco backline but Bono comes to gather. Piercing whistles for whenever Nigeria are on the ball.
KICK-OFF
Morocco in their red and green, Nigeria in all white. Captains Hakimi and Osimhen exchange pennants and handshakes. It’s go time. The noise is something else.
Nigeria’s national anthem is well observed. Morocco’s is raucous – the stakes are huge. Kick-off is upon us.
The fans are out in force in Rabat. They await the teams.
Route to the semis
Nigeria
Group stage (1st): won 2-1 v Tanzania, won 3-2 v Tunisia, won 3-1 v Uganda
Last 16: won 4-0 v Mozambique
Quarter-final: won 2-0 v Algeria
Top scorer: Victor Osimhen (4 goals)
Morocco
Group stage (1st): won 2-0 v Comoros, drew 1-1 v Mali, won 3-0 v Zambia
Last 16: won 1-0 v Tanzania
Quarter-final: won 2-0 v Cameroon
Top scorer: Brahim Díaz (5 goals)
Morocco’s players head out to warm up in Rabat, high-fiving an Atlas lion (a cuddly mascot, not a real one) on their way out of the tunnel. The country’s hosting abilities have been under scrutiny throughout this Afcon with a view to co-hosting the World Cup with Spain and Portugal in 2030. Jonathan Wilson has been there:
The high-speed Al-Boraq rail service from Rabat to Tangier is exceptional and should be extended through Casablanca to Marrakech by 2030. The conventional trains are very good, though they would come under strain at a World Cup, and don’t yet reach as far south as Agadir. With internal flights limited, that is an obvious potential problem. Hotels have easily been able to cope with the influx of visitors for the Cup of Nations without absurd price increases, and Morocco has a developed tourist infrastructure. That may yet not be enough for the far greater stresses of a World Cup, but the foundations are there.
“As a Fulham supporter I’m torn,” writes Richard Hirst. “Should I want Nigeria to lose so that we get Bassey, Iwobi and Chukwueze back quickly? Or should I want Nigeria to win the whole thing, so that when we do get them back they are on a high and tear our opponents to shreds? Answers to Marco Silva please.”
Yep, just the three Fulham players in the Nigeria squad tonight. Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi start, with Samuel Chukwueze waiting in the wings.
Captain Wilfred Ndidi misses out for Nigeria with a combination of suspension and injury. He picked up a second yellow card of the tournament, earning him a one-match ban, and a hamstring strain in the quarter-final. Club Brugge’s Raphael Onyedika takes his place in the XI tonight in their only change.
Morocco are unchanged from their quarter-final.
Team news
Starting lineups from the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah:
Nigeria (4-3-1-2): Nwabili; Osayi-Samuel, Ajayi, Bassey, Onyemaechi; Onyeka, Onyedika, Iwobi; Lookman; Osimhen, Adams.
Subs: Obasogie, Uzoho, Awaziem, Ogbu, Sanusi, Akinsanmiro, Dele-Bashiru, Usman, Nnadi, Ejuke, Fago, Simon, Onuachu, Chukwueze.
Morocco (4-3-3): Bounou; Hakimi, Aguerd, Masina, Mazraoui; El Khannouss, El Aynaoui, Saibari; Brahim, El Kaabi, Ezzalzouli.
Subs: Al Harrar, Munir, Boudlal, Salah-Eddine, El Yamiq, Chibi, Belammari, Ben Seghir, Akhomach, Targhalline, Amrabat, Talbi, Igamane, Rahimi, En-Nesyri.
Senegal await the winners of this one in final after edging out Egypt in the first semi-final. The full-time whistle went a few minutes ago, with Sadio Mané’s late-ish winner was the difference.
Yara El-Shaboury is sweeping up the reaction on her blog:
Preamble
It’s been 22 years since Morocco last appeared in the Africa Cup of Nations final and 50 years since they won the thing. Tonight the 2026 hosts have the chance to stay right to the very end of their own party when they take on the runners-up of two years ago, Nigeria, in Rabat in the second semi-final.
Walid Regragui’s side topped their group and have since knocked out Tanzania and Cameroon. Real Madrid’s Brahim Díaz, whose club coach has changed while he’s been away, has scored in every game at the tournament so far, including the first of Morocco’s two against Cameroon in last Friday’s quarter-final. They remain favourites for the title.
Standing in their way of Sunday’s final are Nigeria who, unlike Morocco, have won every game at this tournament. Victor Osimhen is their talisman and he gave them the lead against Algeria in their 2-0 quarter-final victory to get this far. The Super Eagles took the lead in the 2023 Afcon final (played in 2024) but were beaten by the hosts on that occasion, Côte d’Ivoire.
I’ll be providing updates for as long as this one takes, should we need extra time and penalties, so feel free to get in touch via email with your thoughts on the game. Kick-off is 8pm (GMT). Team news is coming up.
