Hosts reach AFCON final after shootout
The hosts are a win away from their first AFCON title since 1976.
Morocco clinched their place in the Africa Cup of Nations final for the first time since 2004 as they edged Nigeria 4-2 on penalties after a tense goalless draw in the semi-final.
The Atlas Lions have not won the AFCON since doing so in 1976, and the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists have played under weight of huge expectations on home soil as they look to end their wait for a second title.
Morocco were the better team for long periods of an uninspiring contest in Rabat, though neither side crafted much in the way of clear-cut chances.
And it was Morocco who held their nerve in the shootout, Youssef En-Nesyri scoring the decisive penalty after Bruno’s poor spot-kick had presented him with the chance to book a place in the final against Senegal.
Morocco now face the Lions of Teranga at the same venue on Sunday, while Nigeria face a third-place play-off with Egypt that will offer no consolation for a Super Eagles team that will be conspicuous by its absence at this summer’s World Cup.
