Super Eagles Chase 64th AFCON Win, Eye Record 17th Podium Finish

Victory in the third-place match against Egypt on Saturday would mark Nigeria’s 64th win at the Africa Cup of Nations, drawing them level with Egypt for the most wins in the competition’s history.

It would also secure a record-extending 17th podium finish for the Super Eagles, who have already established themselves as the most consistent team in AFCON history with 16 top-three finishes.

Nigeria’s relationship with the third-place playoff is remarkable. They have contested seven such matches and won all of them, officially finishing third eight times, including the 1976 edition when the tournament used a second group stage.

Their first third-place encounter came in 1978, when they were awarded a 2–0 victory after Tunisia walked off in protest. In 1992, they defeated Cameroon 2–1, and between 2002 and 2006, they appeared in three consecutive third-place matches, overcoming Mali twice and Senegal once.

In 2010, Victor Obinna’s 58th-minute strike sealed a 1–0 win over Algeria, while their most recent appearance in 2019 saw Odion Ighalo’s goal secure another 1–0 victory against Tunisia.

Four of their seven third-place wins have come by a 1–0 scoreline, and six of the seven have been decided by just a single goal. None of these matches have ever gone to penalties, underscoring Nigeria’s ability to edge tight contests.

The Super Eagles are also eager to rediscover their scoring touch after their 12-match scoring streak was snapped in the semi-final defeat to Morocco.

Prior to that, they had found the net in five consecutive games at the current tournament and had scored in 12 successive AFCON matches, a run stretching back to their 1–0 loss to Tunisia in the Round of 16 at the 2021 edition.

Despite the setback, Nigeria’s attack has been prolific in this year’s finals, with 14 goals—their highest tally at any AFCON edition.