‘Not again’ – Super Eagles star laments Nigeria’s penalty curse after Morocco loss

Nigeria have now suffered consecutive penalty heartbreaks in key games within the last two months, an occurence that has left a Super Eagles star dejected 

Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali was left to carry the weight of cruel footballing fate yet again following Nigeria’s semifinal defeat to Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Soccernet.ng reports.

Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 dream ended in familiar, painful fashion on Wednesday night as the Super Eagles lost on penalties to hosts Morocco.

After 120 goalless minutes of tension and tactical stalemate in Rabat, Morocco edged the semi-final 4-2 in a shootout, booking their place in the final and extending Nigeria’s struggle from the penalty spot.

It was a particularly frustrating night for Nwabali. 

The Super Eagles goalkeeper was one of Nigeria’s outstanding performers on the night, producing a string of decisive saves to keep his side alive and even stopping Morocco’s second penalty in the shootout. Yet, as has happened before, his heroics were not enough.

Nigeria missed two of their four spot-kicks, and when Youssef En-Nesyri stepped forward to score the decisive effort, the stadium erupted while Nwabali stood motionless, hands on hips, beaten again by the margins.

Shortly after the final whistle, the 29-year-old summed up the night with a message that captured the mood of a shattered dressing room and a frustrated nation.

“Not again!!!! ‍,” he wrote on X.

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Nigeria: Super Eagles' recent penalty woes

Nwabali’s lamentation was not just an expression of one night’s pain but a reference to a pattern.

Only in November, Nwabali had lived through the same nightmare during Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifying play-off against DR Congo.

In that particular shootout, Nwabali saved two penalties and still ended up on the losing side, after Moses Simon and Calvin Bassey missed their own kicks.

Against Morocco, it was Bruno Onyemaechi and Samuel Chukwueze who both failed to convert for Nigeria, handing the initiative back to the hosts after Nwabali had saved Hamza Igamane's kick.

The Super Eagles will now turn their attention to Saturday’s third-place play-off against Egypt.