By Kunle Solaja, Marrakech

Nigeria and Egypt’s third-place showdown in Casablanca will be the 32nd AFCON bronze-medal play-off, a fixture that has historically delivered goals, drama and, on occasion, penalty shoot-outs.

Across the previous 31 third-place matches, 87 goals have been scored at an average of 2.85 per game, with five editions decided on penalties. Egypt hold the record for the biggest victory in the fixture, having beaten Congo 4–0 in 1974, while the most recent play-off ended goalless before South Africa defeated DR Congo on penalties in 2023.

Saturday’s contest also deepens a long-standing AFCON rivalry between the two sides. The teams have met nine times at the Africa Cup of Nations, with eight of those encounters coming in the group stages. Overall, Nigeria and Egypt have faced each other 20 times, with Nigeria winning eight matches, Egypt six, and six ending in draws.

Their first AFCON meeting came in 1963, a nine-goal thriller won 6–3 by Egypt, while Nigeria gained revenge in later tournaments, including wins in 1976, 1980, 1990 and 2021. Egypt ended a long winless run against Nigeria with a 3–1 group-stage victory in 2010, before Nigeria again edged the Pharaohs 1–0 at the 2021 finals.

Nigeria’s third-place pedigree remains unmatched. The Super Eagles have officially finished third in 1976, 1978, 1992, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2019, winning all seven matches in which a third-place play-off was contested. Their most recent bronze came in 2019, courtesy of a 1–0 victory over Tunisia.

Statistically, Nigeria arrive with strong defensive credentials, having gone 357 minutes without conceding a goal and keeping three successive clean sheets. Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali made five saves in the semi-final against Morocco, while defender Calvin Bassey recorded the highest number of completed passes by any player at the tournament.

Egypt, by contrast, struggled for attacking rhythm in their semi-final loss to Senegal, registering just three shots and failing to record a shot on target until stoppage time. However, the Pharaohs remain historically efficient in bronze-medal matches, having scored in four of their five previous play-offs.

Individually, Mohamed Salah will be chasing history of his own. With 11 AFCON goals, the Liverpool forward could draw level with Hassan El-Shazly as Egypt’s all-time leading scorer at the finals.

As Nigeria chase another bronze to extend their continental record and Egypt seek to close the gap, Saturday’s clash promises to be shaped as much by numbers and history as by what unfolds on the pitch in Casablanca.

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By Kunle Solaja, Marrakech

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will be chasing history on Saturday when they face Egypt in the third-place match of the Africa Cup of Nations in Casablanca, with a record-extending ninth bronze medal at stake.

Already the most successful team in AFCON third-place finishes, Nigeria have claimed the bronze medal eight times and now stands on the brink of stretching that record further. Victory over Egypt would reinforce the Super Eagles’ long-standing reputation for consistency at the continent’s flagship tournament.

The Egyptians are gunning for the third position after their previous six achievements

There is a strong historical link between Nigeria and Egypt when it comes to the AFCON bronze medal. While Nigeria lead the chart with eight third-place finishes, Egypt follow closely with six. A win for the Pharaohs on Saturday would see them narrow the gap, moving within one of Nigeria’s record hauls. It was in Egypt that Nigeria last won the bronze medal.

The bronze-medal contest also carries deep historical significance for the Super Eagles. It was against Egypt, exactly 50 years ago, that Nigeria secured their first-ever third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations, during the 1976 finals in Ethiopia.

Even earlier, Egypt were Nigeria’s opponent in their maiden AFCON match in 1963, marking the beginning of a long and competitive rivalry between the two nations.

Nigeria’s eight third-place finishes came in 1976, 1978, 1992, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2019—spanning more than four decades of continental football and underlining the team’s sustained presence among Africa’s elite.

Saturday’s encounter, therefore, offers more than consolation silverware. It is a chance for Nigeria to further entrench their dominance in AFCON’s bronze-medal history, while denying Egypt the opportunity to close in on that record.

As both sides seek to end their AFCON campaigns on a positive note, the clash in Casablanca promises to be a meeting shaped as much by history as by the desire to finish on the podium.

Coincidentally, both teams faced each other in their last pre-Afcon clash in Cairo last month.

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By Kunle Solaja, Marrakech

An African proverb says that when a road is good, you tend to pass through it many times. That wisdom perhaps best explains my detour from Tangier through Casablanca back to Marrakech, even though the last Africa Cup of Nations match staged in the Red City had long been concluded, Nigeria having beaten Algeria 2–0 days earlier.

Yet Marrakech, ancient and modern in equal measure, has a way of whispering that there is still more to see, more to feel, more to understand. It is a city of contrasts that refuses to be fully grasped in a single visit.

Where Centuries Share the Same Road

In Marrakech, history and modernity coexist without apology. Horse-pulled carts still trot confidently along the same roads as sleek automobiles. In the downtown areas, a casual walk through winding alleys reveals buildings that look like relics from another age. Step inside, however, and you are often startled by a sudden transformation—contemporary interiors, refined décor and modern comforts hidden behind ancient facades.

That paradox took me back to a lesson once shared by a tour guide in the medina of Fes, itself a UNESCO World Heritage site. Many buildings there are over a century old and carefully preserved.

“Everyone looks the same,” the guide had said. “If you are rich, you don’t need to flaunt it.”

It is a philosophy that runs deep in Moroccan urban culture. What appears modest or even austere from the outside may, within, unfold like a palace.

A Garden Behind Ancient Walls

One such discovery in Marrakech was Jardin du Lotus, a charming and trendy restaurant set inside a 19th-century riad in the heart of the medina. From the outside, there is little to prepare you for what lies within.

Inside, the space opens into a lush, garden-like environment where traditional Moroccan elements blend seamlessly with modern décor. The menu offers creative, seasonal cuisine, and by about 7:30 pm—when Marrakech begins to glow under lantern light—the place transforms into a dinner-show experience. A DJ sets the rhythm, exotic dancers animate the night, and a three-course meal unfolds alongside the entertainment.

Caught in the moment, I found myself drawn from my seat, instinctively offering Nigerian dance steps to guests and performers alike. Laughter ensued, and the hall erupted, with some fellow guests from the Moroccan National Association of Media and Publishers (ANME) joining in. It was spontaneous, joyous and unforgettable—fun galore before we eventually drifted back to our hotel rooms.

I showed them a bit of Naija dance steps

A Familiar Base, A Renewed Conversation

Returning to Marrakech was no accident. A quiet persuasion inspired this second missionary journey to a city that never reveals itself all at once. Once again, my port of call was the Pestana CR7 Lifestyle Hotel, a familiar name that now feels like a trusted away base.

This time, checking in felt less like arrival and more like resuming a conversation that had been paused.

Comfort in Contrast

The hotel continues to impress with its spacious, bright and subtly romantic spaces—an intentional contrast to Marrakech’s exotic energy. Outside, the city pulses with colour, heat and history; inside, the ambience is calm, contemporary and cosmopolitan. It is a balance perfectly suited to a travelling sports journalist: stimulation outdoors, recovery indoors.

With 174 rooms and suites, the hotel feels generous without being overwhelming. Its clean-lined, modern design prioritises comfort over excess, encouraging reflection after long days shaped by fixtures, deadlines and constant movement.

Above the Red City

One of the hotel’s enduring highlights is its rooftop swimming pool. From here, Marrakech stretches out below, while the distant outline of the Atlas Mountains anchors the horizon. As evening descends and the sun softens, the view becomes almost meditative—a reminder that geography, much like football, often rewards those willing to climb higher.

Equally inviting is the massage room with its Hammam treatment, a sanctuary designed for unwinding after the physical and mental demands of navigating the Red City. It is indulgence with intent—recovery elevated to ritual.

At the Table of Two Cultures

Dining at the hotel remains an exercise in cultural fusion. Traditional Portuguese dishes are infused with Moroccan influences, creating flavours that feel both familiar and adventurous. In many ways, the cuisine mirrors Marrakech itself: an intersection of histories, cultures and tastes.

The Ronaldo Question

I could not resist asking the inevitable question: what would happen if Cristiano Ronaldo himself walked in? Would the hotel descend into frenzy?

One of the front desk officers, Hamza Hadouz, smiled knowingly. Ronaldo, he explained, hardly visits the property these days. In fact, it has been almost four years since his last appearance. The brand is everywhere, but the man himself remains an occasional ghost—felt more in spirit than in person.

Art, Motion and Memory

As I walked through the corridors, the walls told their own stories. Large-scale artworks depicting silhouettes of sporting actions line the passageways—figures frozen mid-motion, echoing speed, strength and ambition. For a sports journalist, the imagery feels almost conversational, as though the walls themselves understand the language of competition.

Passing Through Again

This second visit confirmed what the proverb suggests: good roads invite return journeys. The Pestana CR7 Lifestyle Hotel remains not just a place to stay, but a fitting chapter in a broader AFCON travel narrative—where football assignments quietly expand into cultural encounters.

Marrakech, once again, refused to be just a stopover. And the road, clearly, was good enough to travel twice.

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